Berberian Sound Studio (2012)

This movie is one hour of watching people make noises, 15 minutes of surreal nonsense, and then another ten minutes of noise. That is literally it! I'm sure somewhere there is some sort of meaning, but the film comes nowhere near exposing it and abruptly ends. I don't know who wrote the summary, that Gilderoy begins working in the sound studio of a horror movie when life begins to terrifyingly imitate art. Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing happens at all like what was advertised. And it's classified as a horror/thriller?????? They must be delusional.

About half way through viewing this film I had to temper my expectations when it was apparent that the plot was not heading in the direction I had hoped it was, that is, a Thriller or a Horror film, but was going to stay a psychological study of a man becoming unhinged from working in a strange and uncomfortable situation. I can understand how a lot of the frustration I've heard mentioned with this film stems from these dashed expectations, and that's because it sort of plays around with and teases the audience by disingenuously making the genre of the film within the film that the main character (a reserved, mild-mannered, and tightly-wound sound editor played by Toby Jones) a 1970s Italian Nunsploitation/Torture/Black Magic Horror film. If it wasn't for that, "Horror" as a descriptive genre would never even be applied to this film.And I have to admit that while casting Toby Jones in the lead role was a bold and risky choice for the lead character and gets my respect, ultimately I can't say he held my interest (or garnered my empathy) all the way to the conclusion. I think the guy is a fine character actor from other films I've noticed him appearing in, but as the protagonist for a feature-length story I found him wanting.Still in all, if you enjoy watching non-English language Horror films from the 60s and 70s, you'll be entertained from the depiction of a post-production session for one of them that the film stages. And also, if you like films that fck with your head as to what is "real" and what's only in the mind of the character(s), you'll find plenty to enjoy here. Berberian Sound Studio is not an instant classic, but it's definitely worth a look for film fans.

Gilderoy (Toby Jones) is a sound engineer hired to work at an Italian studio. He is shocked at the material as he begins to work on The Equestrian Vortex. It's witchcraft movie in an all girl riding school. He's a quiet reserved English speaker and he's not making fast friends among his Italian co-workers. The boss Santini refuses to call it a horror movie. He becomes a paranoid mess as he falls further and further into his work.This is a movie filled with moodiness. Toby Jones is terrific. However, I want more creepiness and some scares. It definitely needs something more. It doesn't have enough weirdness. It doesn't have any shock. It is just a long tense tease that doesn't pay off. The story needs to be about something. This film wants to be The Shining but it doesn't reach anywhere close to it.

and Imaginary Spoiler Alert... because I foolishly imagined I knew what the end was going to be (thinking Wicker Man) and was disappointed when I didn't get it. I promoted my theory to an expectation when Sylvia asked Gilderoy if he ever wondered why they chose him... in proximity to musings about the script's need to include some sort of human sacrifice. Clearly Santini, a director so intent on realistic performances, would naturally have stumbled on the idea of putting actual people (our docile and unwitting hero perhaps) thru actual tortures for the sake of a more fantastico soundtrack. Given all the hints and innuendo pointing toward the sordid demise of their patient and long-suffering English visitor, I think filmmaker Strickland realized he was perilously close to making a snuff film, and backed off under pressure from the Italian Board of Tourism.