(2007) 4 Michael Buening Great World of Sound is a soulful and shattering tragicomedy about the drive to succeed, belong, and find a calling as an artist and as an individual in society. The two main characters, Martin (Pat Healy) and Clarence (Kene Holliday), are unwitting participants in a "song sharking" scam. In depressed Southern cities like Birmingham, they audition aspiring musicians, who are then required to make a down payment as part of their "record contract" with a company called the Great World of Sound. The film is not really about a hunger for American Idol-style fame, as the musicians are so poor and struggling that they would like any meager recognition for their artistry. Director Craig Zobel used actual local musicians, and the scenes where they are auditioned and pitched by Martin and Clarence were mostly shot undercover with two-way mirrors. (The musicians were all briefed on the filming afterward.) This gives the central subject matter an authenticity and poignant humor, vividly creating the depressed and beaten-up Southeastern milieu of the characters. Martin and Clarence are participants in the scam while also being victims of larger societal constructs. Martin, a shy and rudderless young husband, is attracted to a job that seems to offer direction and meaning. Clarence, a gregarious but shunted poor black man, sees an opportunity to make money and move ahead. As the dry comedy of the first portion gives way to the disaster at its closing, Healy's and Holliday's performances vibrate powerfully with their characters' thwarted ambitions, reaching heart-rending levels when the realization of the moral comprises they've made begins to tear them apart. There is one major plot contrivance, in that it takes way too long for Martin and Clarence to figure out the scam, but the emotional arc is so convincing one may not notice. Great World of Sound was featured at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, the SXSW Film Festival, and the 36th New Directors/New Films showcase.

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Great World of Sound (2007)

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Great World of Sound

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Adult Language
Questionable for Children

genres

Drama

sub-genres

category

Feature

directed by

Craig Zobel

countries

USA

release date

September 14, 2007 (USA - Limited)

run time

106 min.

produced by

GWS Media, Plum Pictures

released by

Magnolia Pictures

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cast

Pat Healy: Martin

Kene Holliday: Clarence

Robert Longstreet: Layton

Rebecca Mader: Pam

John Baker: Shank

Tricia Paoluccio: Gloria

crew

Craig Zobel: Director, Producer, Screenwriter
David Gordon Green: Producer
Melissa Palmer: Producer
Richard A. Wright: Producer, Production Designer
George Smith: Screenwriter
Adam Stone: Cinematographer
David Wingo: Composer (Music Score)
Jane Rizzo: Editor
Tim Streeto: Editor
Elizabeth Steinfels: Art Director, Costume Designer
Sophia Lin: Co-producer
Adam Paroo: Associate Producer
Steven Holtzman: Associate Producer
Daniela Taplin-Lundberg: Executive Producer
Matt Chapman: Executive Producer
Mike Chapman: Executive Producer
Elliot Glick: Set Decorator
Chris Gebert: Sound/Sound Designer
Erica Palgon: Casting
Susan Shopmaker: Casting
Tonya Shuffler: Casting
Corrigan & Johnston Casting: Additional Casting