MOVIE REVIEW: Sound of my Voice

Director: Zal Batmanglij

Writers: Brit Marling, Zal Batmanglij

Cast:
Christopher Denham ... Peter Aitken
Nicole Vicius ... Lorna Michaelson
Brit Marling ... Maggie
Davenia McFadden ... Carol Briggs
Kandice Stroh ... Joanne
Richard Wharton ... Klaus
Peter and his girlfriend, Lorna join a cult so Peter can get his big break as a journalist. Rumor has it that Maggie is from 2054 and she's got a message for the people of today. Peter wants to expose her as a fraud and make a name for himself.
Maggie's followers aren't easy to convince. You've got to thoroughly wash with soap before you visit. You're bound and blindfolded and driven to the location where Maggie meets you in a basement. The group's got some rigorous conforming rituals as well.
The Good: Brit Marling was an amazing choice for the charismatic Maggie. She's luminous, somewhat devious and she clearly owns that group of people. But, is she from the future? That's a very good question.
I love psychological sci-fi over technological because at some point, technology's going to change but human psychology doesn't. The Sound of Her Voice definitely holds some psychological intrigue.
The Bad: This is clearly a low-budget film. It could be made in a couple of homes and the La Brea Tar Pits. That's not a bad thing. Paul, for example, was made on a shoe-string and I believe it's going to become a cult classic. The Sound of Her Voice doesn't hold that kind of appeal.
No, the film was not worth matinee price and I would not own the DVD. However, I'd definitely recommend this film as a rental for a Saturday night gathering of some of your geeky sci-fi friends. Add some libations and conversation and you'll have some entertainment. Discuss the psychology of groups and have fun with portions of the film. I'm afraid there were points in the film where our group's reactions were loud enough that if we hadn't been the only ones in the theater, we might well have gotten kicked out.
Rebecca McFarland Kyle, May 2012