Customer Reviews

Noises Off...

5 star:		(133)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Noises Off is a treasure of a movie buried in the comedy section of the video store. And after viewing it as a chance discovery, I would rank it as one of the funniest movies Ive ever seen  bar none! There is no message, no lingering camera work and precious little plot actually, but the sight gags and interaction of the characters make this movie an absolute laugh riot.

The premise of this film deals with the rehearsals and pre-Broadway tour of a play that aspires to be a classic British sex farce. Michael Caine plays the beleaguered director, with Julie Hagerty as his stage manager, trying to corral a collection of stage and movie actors on both sides of the career loop. Carol Burnett, John Ritter, Christopher Reeve, Denholm Elliott, Marilu Henner and Nicolette Sheridan make up the onstage ensemble, with the able support of Mark Linn-Baker. Throughout early rehearsals and performances the cast conspires with and against each other in matters of romance, revenge and profession expression  all to hilarious effect.

It all culminates in a fateful performance that we view/hear primarily from backstage as conflicts of love and stage presence boil over in mid-show. It just might be the funniest thing ever filmed that didnt involve the genius of Mel Brooks.

In 1992, Peter Bogdanovich directed a hilarious comedy called "Noises Off...", which was based upon a play that was written by Michael Frayn. (Peter Bogdanovich also directed "What's Up Doc" in 1972, "Paper Moon" in 1973 and "Mask" in 1985.) Starring a wonderful cast, "Noises Off..." is about a troop of actors preparing to perform a play on a national circuit that is under the direction of Lloyd Fellowes (Michael Caine) and features an actress named Dotty Otley (Carol Burnett). She includes a long-time friend, Selsdon Molbray (Denholm Elliott, 1922-1992), as part of her cast; but must contend with his alcoholism. Also included in her acting troop are Gary Lejeune (John Ritter, 1948-2003), Brooke Ashton (Nicolette Sheridan), Frederick 'Freddy' Dallas (Christopher Reeve), Belinda Blair (Marilu Henner), stage manager Poppy Taylor (Julie Hagerty) and prop manager Tim Allgood (Mark Linn-Baker), who must also be a stand-in actor if any of the other actors cannot perform. The play that they intend to perform takes place in a rural English country estate and opens with Dotty portraying a cantankerous housekeeper named Mrs. Clackett, who has a taste for sardines. Gary and Brooke enter next and portray an attorney named Roger Tramplemain and his assistant Vicki. They have come on behalf of the law firm representing the estate's owners, Philip & Flavia Brent, who are portrayed by Freddy and Belinda and who are supposed to be out of town. Thrown into this mix is Selsdon's character: a petty thief. Over the course of the play's performances, various interactions between the actors, managers and Lloyd begin to have a negative impact upon the play's execution with hilarious results.

Carol Burnett, John Ritter, Christopher Reeve and Michael Caine all performed their roles superbly in "Noises Off...". The plot and character development are highly engaging and unpredictable. Memorable scenes include the dress rehearsal, the back-stage happenings, Seldon's bottles, the sardines, the cactus, Lloyd's relationships and the on-stage mishaps. Overall, I rate "Noises Off..." with 5 out of 5 stars for being a delightfully funny and engaging story. It's a film that everyone can watch and enjoy and a fine way to remember John Ritter's acting skills.

So the film was out of print for a while and now it's come back into print. I couldn't wait to get the DVD of it, because I figured with all the great performances in the movie, there had to be some fantastic special features/outtakes/commentary/whatever.

What did they include with this DVD? NOTHING! Spanish language subtitles....Wow!

It's such a terrific film, it's a shame that the studio couldn't be bothered to make a decent presentation of it on DVD.

I read the play first last year, without knowing anything about it, and fell in love with it.

I then found out that a movie had been made, so I immediately got it and watched it - and not just any movie, but a movie with a cast of ALL brilliant A-level actors: Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, the terribly under-rated John Ritter, and others.

Enjoy the movie for its rare assemblage of so much raw talent in one movie.

Enjoy it for the brilliantly executed acting, gags, dialogue, and pratfalls.

But mostly, enjoy it because it is a wicked gut-wrenchingly hilarious and brilliantly clever romp.

One of the funniest plays (and movies) I have ever witnessed, with a humor that increases exponentially in the third act to the point that I was almost unable to breath from laughing so much.

Movies like this make me pine for the days when studios would assemble the world's best talents into one movie and give us a truly special experience. Watching a play or a movie in which EVERY actor is top notch and on top form is a remarkable joy, one of those rare experiences that makes life worth living, and this movie is one of them.

It also make me pine for the days when John Ritter was still alive, and regret that he was so rarely given a chance to show the world his true capability as an actor and as a comedic actor. This is perhaps his best performance. If you are a John Ritter fan like me, this is your movie. (And if you are a Christopher Reeve fan, this is one of his finest performances, and you'll see how much his talent was wasted on the Superman movies).

Time magazine's review of this movie read: "The bad news is that this movie is not as funny as the play. The good news is that it is the funniest movie you will ever see." And it is ... even after repeated viewings. The all-star cast is perfect -- Denholm Elliott in his final role is a treasure, while Christopher Reeve and Michael Caine show satisfyingly subtle takes on broad comedy. (AND you get to enjoy a young, cute Nicolette Sheridan!)

Broad comedy is what this is, and no one should expect otherwise. It's based on the production of Britain's "Whitehall farces" which sharpened themselves by touring the provinces before playing London's Whitehall Theatre (being exported afterword to the world, including Broadway, which explains the American shift in the screenplay). Everyone who has spent any time in theatre -- even high school or community theatre -- will recognize the personality types that make up this (or any) theatrical troupe of misfits, caricatured here, to be sure, and hence all the funnier.

The laughter comes not only from well-written and well-delivered lines, but also from near-perfect character interplay, and from tightly choreographed action with multiple surprise riffs.

This is THE movie for anyone with a funnybone and a strong sense of the ridiculous. Peter Bogdanovich directs.

(BTW: My personal choice for the funniest movie ever made remains Billy Wilder's "One, Two, Three" with the late great James Cagney. Check it out.)

This film is simply hilariously. While it didnt last long in theaters it will be around on video to enjoy. If you get the chance buy this video! John Ritter, Chritopher Reeve, Michael Caine, Carol Burnett, Denholm Elliot and more. Based on a Tony winning play the story follows a off broadway farce on stage and behind the scenes. I laughed and laughed. While comedy is subjective there's a lot of styles that amuse in this picture, and with that cast there's probably someone you like. Take a chance on this film. The noise you make will probably be laughter.

I am a high school Drama Student and recently I was cast in a play known as noises off. My teacher lent me this movie so I could get a good grasp of everthing that happens, because A good third of the script is just actions. The person I watched the most was Micheal Caine, because he was in the role that I was soon going to perform. I did not expect to laugh so hard at a movie. The only other movie I have ever seen Christopher Reve in was superman and I found it hard to believe that he was capaple of being as funny as he is in this movie.

By far the best person in this movie was John Ritter in the role of Garry. This guy goes from the sweetest guy in the world who is unable to get out a comprhensible sentence, to the most vengeful guy in theatre who can't get out a complete sentence.

As for Micheal Caine as Lloyd I could not have been happier with the casting. He is a brilliant actor and it is great fun to see him losing his temper and letting loose on all of his cast mates.

And then there is the role of Brooke, who is very great for all of the Male viewer considering that her costume for the majority of the movie is just her underwear, the author of the plat must have been very proud of himself for putting that little thing in their.

All in all I have to say that this is the most funny movie I have seen in years and I can't wait to give it a try myself.

This is the most energetic frenetic farce on film. A superb cast of veteran actors, razor sharp timing, and constant surprise fill this door-slamming energy-filled comedy with giggles and laughs for all. It is about the production of a stage play. The madcap nonsense never stops. Anyone who has ever acted or worked in theater particularly will enjoy this romp through a director's worst nightmare...anything that can go wrong...does. Lots of complicated and humorous personal relationships are woven through the plot. A nice choice for a silly light not-at-all-serious evening.

You'd think with this amount of star quality (Carol Burnett, Christopher Reeve, Michael Cane, John Ritter)that this video would be more readily available. A friend stumbled across this video buried in a rack in some video store & bought it for me. I'm glad he did. A laugh a minute is an understatement. As an actor myself, I can relate to the trials and tribulations of live theatre that are portrayed in this movie. Boy, am I glad I'm not in this play. From sheiks, to sheets and slamming doors to sardine plates you'll laugh out loud at everything that goes wrong 'til your friends make you shut up. Also, If you ever have a chance, try to see the stage play. If it's done well, it's better than the movie. If it's done poorly, you'll probably hate it. Shame on Amazon.com for not having this in stock. If you can find it, rent or buy it. You'll be glad you did.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. It was such a pleasure to see Christopher Reeve play against type as an insecure actor who got nose bleeds at the site of blood. John Ritter was true to form with his comedic wit and timing, as was Carol Burnett who is always a joy to watch. I was most surprised by Nicolette Sheridan as I wasn't used to her playing in a comedic role before starring in Desperate Housewives.