I just took a bullet for the independent spirit. It fucking hurt.
"Great World of Sound" was directed and co-written by Craig Zobel. The premise he's concocted is intriguing, a seemingly foolproof comedic setup. Scam artists masquerading as record producers set up shop in a hotel room to audition aspiring local musicians. The catch is that the producers require an upfront cash "commitment" from the artists before they enter the studio.
The editing destroys any possible comedic rhythm. The musical auditions are blended into montages, a highlight reel of the least interesting moments. Just as a performer is about to begin their song, we cut to midway through a completely different song. Each cut is more bewildering and alienating than the last. As each minute passes, a sense of dread slowly sinks in. Things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get better.
Pat Healy and Kene Holliday star as the "producers", tasked with pitching this pyramid scheme. Holliday manages to provides the only spark of life, even as he's forced to spew inept sitcom-style racial humor. Healy's performance is a painful display of awkwardness. It's true to the character as written, but this despicable bore of a protagonist singlehandedly sinks the movie.
The scenes between Healy and his stereotypical quirky indie movie girlfriend are deathly. The script artlessly stuffs themes and morals into their mouths, only to dribble out slowly. Every limp personal conflict is telegraphed from miles away, as the audience waits for the movie to catch up.
The film ends with a whimper of inevitability. Yes, I was the one hauling ass out of the theater the millisecond the credits began to roll. I slid by the director as he headed up the stairs for a Q and A with the audience. Had I the will to stick it out, my queries may have included "What the fuck is wrong with you?", "Why did you do this to me?", "Is there a hole nearby I can crawl into and die?", or "Have I just been teleported into a demon dimension?".
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