Leah's Movie Lowdown
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The Loudest Sound

Rated: Not Rated

        Starting a relationship with anyone is tricky business. Often you don’t really know the person you’re starting one with, and it’s impossible to tell what kind of baggage they’re bringing with them, and how that baggage will affect how things go. Sure, things may seem idyllic and wonderful in the beginning, but as things progress it often becomes all too clear if the match is a good one, or not.
 
        The new film The Loudest Sound by writer/director Jason Miller takes an often painful look at how a relationship between two people begins, and perhaps ends. The film is about Michael and Alice, and all of the heartbreaking ups and downs their relationship goes through.
 
        This is one of those films you can’t just casually pay attention to if you want to know what’s going on at any given point. The story jumps from past to present and back again quickly and seamlessly, and if you look away for even a moment you may miss the jumps. Filmmaker Jason Miller had this to say about the roller coaster storyline, “Ultimately I was interested in telling a story about two damaged people who come together at different points in their lives and create a sort of perfect storm of love, passion, and heartache that will last long after the relationship ends.”
Michael weighs his options in The Loudest Sound (Photo courtesy of Jason Miller)

Michael weighs his options in The Loudest Sound (Photo courtesy of Jason Miller)

 
        It is the “perfect storm of heartache” that shines strongest in some scenes. A few in particular were exceptionally agonizing to watch. I asked Miller if that was purposeful. “I intentionally made certain scenes very uncomfortable to watch. I wanted to push it to the point where it's almost unbearable, but you can't turn away,” he said.
 
        Scenes such as this are difficult, yet fascinating. It’s fascinating to study the character’s reactions to the situation and imagine what you would do in such a situation. Would you give up on the relationship and leave? Would you stick it out no matter what? Would a loud argument ensue? I believe it’s these types of hard scenes that give us a better perspective on how to handle certain situations in our own lives, for better or worse.
 
        Most often in films of this nature you find yourself taking sides. In the case of The Loudest Sound you would either feel that Alice has been wronged and must be vindicated, or you’d feel that Michael has. It’s only natural to feel this way. But Miller didn’t want that to happen here. “It was important for this film to stay true to the characters and avoid the temptation of siding with either Michael or Alice. It's a film where the audience doesn't really have a character to root for,” he said. And although creating a film of this nature may have been difficult, it doesn’t come through that way.
Alice and Michael share a kiss in The Loudest Sound (Photo courtesy of Jason Miller)

Alice and Michael share a kiss in The Loudest Sound (Photo courtesy of Jason Miller)


        It’s obvious throughout that neither party is innocent in the relationship, and that both have done regrettable things that lead them to the place they’re at. In that way, the film seems to be torn from real life: A world in which there are often no winners or losers, just people trying to survive as happily as they can.

        The Loudest Sound is a glimpse into a relationship that went wrong somehow, and asks if the people within that relationship have any hope of continuing together. It’s a tenacious film taking on challenging subject matter, and it’s done beautifully.

        The Loudest Sound is not rated, was written and directed by Jason Miller and stars Michael Reardon and Johanna Gorton. More information about the film and Jason Miller can be found here:
  • The Loudest Sound on IMDB
  • Jason Miller on IMDB