Noises Off... (1992)
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Another theatrical metaphor fails to transfer to the screen. This adaptation of Michael Frayn's stage hit undoubtedly has its moments, but will still disappoint those who laughed themselves silly at the original. Frayn's play is literally a set piece: the humour derives from the way his cast of farceurs eminently succeed in tripping over the furniture, and suffering havoc from every prop, every technical and personal nightmare known to the business. Bogdanovich's film neither reproduces the tableau immediacy of the original, nor opens it up sufficiently as Peter Yates did with The Dresser. The result is almost always frustrating, the camera often cutting away from the point of a scene or an exchange, and the early part of the film flags badly before the giddy mayhem of the climax. Reeve (as a squeamish matinee idol) and Elliott (as the veteran drunk) turn in top-rate performances. Not good or fun enough, though.Author: SGr
Cast & crew
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Producer: Frank Marshall
Cast: Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Denholm Elliott, Julie Hagerty, Marilu Henner, Mark Linn-Baker, Christopher Reeve, John Ritter, Nicollette Sheridan full cast
Genre(s): Comedy
Duration: 104 mins
Most popular on this site
Features
Gray's anatomy
James Gray wants to push buttons—again.
The next big thing?
Gigantic Releasing tries to rethink indie distribution…without movie theaters.
Red Diva: Lyubov Orlova, First Lady of Soviet Cinema
So you think you can dance, comrade?
Puppet master
Coraline director Henry Selick takes stop-motion animation into 3-D.
Socratic method
Laurent Cantet's approach on the set matches the message of his film.
Wander woman
Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy puts a Bush-era spin on the road movie.
Oscars
Read our interviews with the nominees, our reviews of the nominated films and more.

What do you think?
Post your review now