Three years in the life of Michael and Alice, a twentysomething couple in Boston. Everything seems to be perfect until addiction, betrayal, and lies tear them apart. While Alice is away in rehab, Michael is forced to confront the past, and reconsider the limits of desire and love.
"The Loudest Sound" tells the story of Michael and Alice. The film opens with a set of photo stills that suggests their love for one another in happier times. It then quickly cuts to present day and it shows the two having a discussion over Alice's addiction problem. During that same sequence her dad shows up. He has already set up a place where Alice can go to get the help she needs. At first she resists but after talking to Michael she decides to go which will be for at least three months.
As Alice leaves the audience cannot help but feel that this relationship is on unstable ground even with her finally seeking help. The addiction is one thing but the lies and betrayal that came along with it has taken a toll on Michael and after meeting his new neighbor, Nancy he begins to reevaluate his life and what he really wants to do with it.
Nancy opens Michael's eyes and heart back up again even if it doesn't last long it definitely changes his feelings toward his relationship with Alice. There is one other thing Michael has to consider, after Alice leaves he finds a "gift" in the bathroom from her and a note that says she is having a baby.
"The Loudest Sound" moves around a lot from present day to the past, it covers their entire three-year relationship from the moment they met to when Alice left for rehab. We get to see their early relationship and how their love grew for one another as they talked about their life together and their plans for the future. It also shows the rocky times as well and the affect it had on their relationship over time. There is a lot to like about the film, one of the first things I noticed was how great the camera work and sound were. The film switches from black and white to color throughout its run time and it gives it that gritty yet beautiful feel. The film is almost poetic in a sense.
Clocking in at an hour and 59 minutes the film is a drama and it tugs on the heart strings. With a character driven film like this it is important to cast actors that can deliver on the characters and they hit it out of the park with the film's two leads. Johanna Gorton is absolutely terrific as Alice and Michael Reardon is equally as impressive as Michael. The two have great chemistry together and they both deliver realistic performances that are both raw and powerful. Hillary Coughlin was also fantastic as Nancy and the rest of the supporting cast did a great job as well.
"The Loudest Sound" does something a lot of films like it hasn’t been able to do. It tells a complete story of love found and lost, and the regret and guilt that follows. The film won both the Best Actress and Best Screenplay Awards at the 2015 Shawna Shea Film Festival and for good reason. This is a powerful piece of film making that tells an even more powerful story. The film will definitely hit home for those out there that have struggled with addiction or had someone close to them struggle with it. It is also a film any fan of drama will love. Right from the start it was easy to connect with Michael and Alice, you feel their joy and their pain.
"The Loudest Sound" is Writer/Director, Jason Miller's feature film debut and it is one you will not easily forget. From his story to his wonderful character development Miller does a terrific job telling this tragic love story.
I had a fantastic time watching the film and was left thinking about the characters long after it was over. When a film has that kind of affect on its audience, you know it is something special. I highly recommend liking the film's Facebook Page HERE to keep up with the film's progress and to find out when and where you might be able to see it.
the loudest sound trailer from " the loudest sound " on Vimeo.