Soundproof

I have just finished watching the premier of Soundproof on BBC2. I decided to catch it having read a preview in one of the papers, it sounded an interesting concept, one which could be make an original stab at the typical British urban thriller.

It was hyped as being the first drama in which sign language plays a major part in the plot. The result, like watching a subtitled film, is that you rely on your eyes rather than ears to take you through the plot. The acting was simply outstanding, Jospeh Mawl showed real emotion throughout his entire body, not just a quivering lip. It brought you into the character's sense of frustration, where he could not express yourself fully when it really mattered. The plot, one of four flatmates falls from a balcony, did not twist and turn like most thrillers on the BBC (Waking the Dead and Silent Witness), it was lean allowing the actors to really explore your characters, and for the viewer to completely immerse themselves in the claustrophobic experience.

I saw this movie on BBC America.

The plot line was believable, and I found myself able to identify with the main characters and their plight.

The movie contained flashbacks which were sometimes hard to follow, but once I caught on to how they were being set up, I enjoyed this aspect of the film.

It was so good I wanted to show it to my friends, but I haven't been able to find it lately in the BBC America schedule. Does anyone know when it will be shown again? This was a movie truly worth seeing again! Hopefully, it will be back on TV soon, so if anyone knows when, please let me know through this log.

Having seen Joseph Mawle in several totally different roles, JenBen Starke, Gerald in 'Women in Love' and most recently the heavy villain Jebediah Shine in 'Ripper Street', when I heard of this film I watched it out of curiosity as my hearing began to deteriorate steadily from my teens. Joseph Mawle did an excellent job as the profoundly deaf young man, and there were so many little things they got right. When people knocked on the door or called his name, he ignored them because he could not hear, until they got his attention by touching him. All my life I have been called standoffish and rude, even being marked down on performance reviews because they think I ignore greetings like 'good morning'. Hearing loss rarely means total loss of sound, but loss of certain frequencies. I do not hear telephones or doorbells, or even the emergency vehicles behind me in traffic, and music now sounds distorted as if half the orchestra has downed their instruments and gone home. I have tried to explain that while I hear sound, it is as if people are speaking in a foreign language - I cannot understand the words. After a while, friends fell away as they tired of repeating things or not getting my attention. I have had to learn to enjoy my own company. This film really caught the isolation of the deaf. When someone is blind or physically disabled, people allow for them, but a deaf person looks quite normal.

For a while watching the film, I thought there was something wrong with my sound system as the sound kept going faint and mumbled, with buzzing on the soundtrack, then I realised that what we were hearing was what the deaf characters heard, and being hearing impaired myself, that is how I hear sound when I don't have hearing aids or headphones. Hearing aids can help, but do not give normal hearing.

My only gripe is the use of flashbacks, which I find confusing unless they are in monochrome. Otherwise, this was an excellent film which might help people understand what we face.

Perhaps wrongly marketed as a 'groundbreaking' film - due to the number of deaf, as well as hearing actors - this really should appeal to anyone. There are some subtitles, but I didn't find this to be a problem. If it had simply been released as a mainstream movie I doubt the 'deaf' factor would come into it. Anyway, I enjoyed it. There are two very well-known British actors - Susan Lynch & Neil Stuke - both excellent. Lynch is much under-rated in my book. Joseph Mawle gives an outstanding performance in the lead role as the accused deaf lodger.

The story is interesting without being over-complex, and the rapport between the characters is good. There's a real sense of the desperation that must be felt when accused of a crime by a society that seems to make little effort to understand you. How to make yourself heard? I think the 'whodunnit' factor is a little too transparent for hardened mystery buffs, but it manages to capture nicely the rather bleak, seedy British urban lifestyle. Not exactly gritty, but still realistic.

I don't think this is a cinema-release movie, but if you get a chance to see it, give it a go. You may be pleasantly surprised.

I just watched this BBC gem! In recent months there have not been many good one off drama's, but this was great. Reading that the story involved deaf and hearing actors i was intrigued and thrilled to see that there was something of substance to watch. I wasn't let down!! The acting was of a very high class and not only that but the cast seemed to completely gel with their characters. Unlike a lot of Drama's UK and US the music and background noise did not take away from the actual story or overpower it, they were used perfectly to show the audience how it feels to have a loss of hearing and it really gave you something to think about even when it ended. It may not be a red herring filled plot with twists and turns, but the case involved was interesting and there was no dull minute in 90 minute show. All in all it was a complete hit in my book so well done BBC for putting it on and well done to everyone involved in making this brilliant piece of TV.