Customer Reviews

Soundless

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

LAUTLOS (Soundless) is yet another film by Director/writer Mennan Yapo (with writing assists form Lars-Olaf Beier) that takes on a story of a hit man on his last job and makes it into a fine psychological thriller. The cinematography, lighting, music and pacing of this strangely dark film provide an excellent background for a superb cast of actors.

Viktor (Joachim Król) is an aging hit man, a perfectionist whose reputation as a genius killer includes the fact that he works so well that he is soundless in his paid executions. We are privy to his mind's working as he focuses on his last hit, a man with a lady in his room Nina (the very beautiful Nadja Uhl) whose life he spares in the hit, an act of emotional response to the beautiful woman but an act that causes his employer to set a mark on him for his failure. Viktor saves Nina from suicide and the two become enchanted with each other. Viktor has found love at the end of his career as a murderer: Nina wants to get to know Viktor better before committing to his advances. Enter the police headed by the brilliant Lang (Christian Berkel) who is determined to capture Viktor by studying his patterns and mind tracings. Viktor and Nina are on the run but with a goal - that they will join at the sea and leave the life of crime. But before this can happen they must go through a literal wall of flames (a touch of Wagner, here). How the cat and mouse chase comes into play and resolves is the satisfying end to this polished little thriller.

Król, Uhl, and Berkel (in addition to a fine supporting cast) make this tense drama intimate and penetrating and Yapo's direction keeps the pace breathless. This is a fine little thriller in German with English subtitles. Grady Harp, November 06

This is a nice taut thriller with good performances by the main actors. Production by Tom Tykwer (Run, Lola, Run and Princess and Warrior). The plotting has some distinct similarities to the Princess and Warrior film, but stands nicely on it's own. German learners will enjoy the conversational quality of the dialogue which is quite easy to follow for an intermediate or above student.

Koch Lorber Films and X Filme Creative Pool present - "Soundless" (aka: Lautlos) (2004) (96 mins/Color) --- Under Mennan Yapo (Director), Stefan Arndt (Producer), Tom Tykwer (Producer), Lars-Olav Beier (Screenwriter), Torsten Lippstock (Cinematographer), Gary Marlowe (Composer (Music Score),Ben Mono (Composer (Music Score), Dirk Vaihinger (Editor), Simon Boucherie (Production Designer), Rene Richter (Executive Producer), Alexander Stigler (Executive Producer), Katharina Ost (Costume Designer), Alexander von Zundt (Sound/Sound Designer), Annette Borgmann (Casting) ----- the cast includes Joachim Król (Viktor), Nadja Uhl (Nina), Christian Berkel (Lang), Rudolf Martin (Der junge Polizist), Lisa Martinek (Die Ermittlerin), Peter Fitz (Martin Hinrich), Wilhelm Manske (Der Russe), Gertraud Jesserer (Grundschullehrerin), Mehmet Kurtulus (Sicherheitschef des Russen), Murat Yilmaz (Killer des Russen), Jale Arikan (Freundin des Russen), Kevin Ruhland (Felix) . . . . . our story centers around a hit man, yes a killing machine who never leaves a trace or witness of him being there, or does he ... but on one of his contracts he see a young woman sleeping away in the very scene where he just killed his target, does he want to kill her or just walk away ... there lies the story and what unravels within this dark and thrilling crime film, almost a film noir ... enjoyable film music and a welcome addition to the films psychological layers, with outstanding performances by Joachim Krol and Nadja Uhl as the two mysterious characters that keep you guessing until the final scene.

BONUS FEATURE:
1. Original Theatrical Trailer
2. Available from Koch Lorber
"Save the Green Planet"
"Divine Intervention"
"Five Obstructions"
"Syrian Bride"

Great job by Koch Lorber Films for releasing "Soundless" (aka: Lautlos) (2004) , the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the foreign film market --- order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Lorber Films where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch acting with an engrossing story that balances equal parts tension with genuine psychological depth.

Total Time: 96 mins on DVD ~ Koch Lorber Films KLF3090 ~ (7/11/2006)

This is one of the best films of 2008 and what delights me is it's not from the cookie cutter factory, that is Hollywood. Slick but with a plot that evokes emotions.
I enjoy the way this director lets the story unfold beautifully and i also love the perfect sparks of chemistry between the talented actors. It's deep but not the kind that dozes you off. It's a story that will make you understand fully why some people just know how to do a particular job and nothing else.
Words of caution though: Not for those who likes wham-bam action and lots of explosions. You know, those flicks that makes your senses turn deaf and soundless...

This film is the best film that I have seen in years. German with English subtitles. It keeps you guessing and has a good ending. Don't miss this one.

SOUNDLESS, of Mennan Yapo, is an intellectual movie, of a
style that has been made popular with C.S.I on television,
for example. It brings to the forefront, the most
advanced forensics techniques used by police
investigations, to pursue, arrest and prosecute the
most sophisticated professional contract killers in the
world.

Having many visually appealing elements, from an
outstanding photographic quality, and the many scenes filmed in
the outdoors, I would assume in Germany or Scandinavia, it
also prominently shows the photogenic actress, Nadja Uhl, who
interesting contributes a more human and very subtle dramatic
touch to the movie, that (as said) is mostly intellectual
in its approach, and distasteful in the type of work the
main character does (contract deaths.)

That leading actor, Joachim Krol, does a fine job, of
putting forth the bizarre, almost unsustainable,
closed-universe lifestyle of a dealer of death, as the
contracts are handed over to him, by an arms dealer, who
himself, learned his trade in the Second World War, and must
go completed, in an untraceable manner.

The downside, of this picture, is the lack of realism. We
are expected to believe, that a blond bombshell, would
jump off a bridge, in despair of her one-night stand
having been killed in a contract, gets saved by the killer, and
then, as a form of gratitude, she follows him down the
path to Death, Despair and Destruction.

The audience will have a hard time accepting this as
minimally credible, and won't like the ending that seems
to condone this type of eccentric "advanced civilization"
capitalism (taking out your opponents.)

On the other hand, the audience will be entertained
by the numerous visually appealing aspects, the originality,
and very subtle acting, and cool soundtrack, that combine to
deliver a good measure of suspense and thrill to viewers.

it has been a month now - I have never waited this long on the Internet. i know they gave me the window until March 3rd. i kind of knew it then but was hoping they would not push it till the very last moment...