MovieChat Forums > Noise (2007) Discussion > The Missing Puzzle Pieces

The Missing Puzzle Pieces

posted 17 years ago by drd233
27 replies | jump to latest

UM... FOR THOSE WHO READ BOARDS BEFORE SEEING THE FILM.... SPOILERS BE HERE!

Ok, I loved this film, BUT:

1 - Did the killer seem psychotic and pskitz... pschitso... mental in the train, yet more calculating and agile later?
2 - Why was the photo of the dog, dressed as a hunter, presented as a key plot development to the viewer, but play no part in the resolution of the film.
3 - Grahame gets his ass kicked for leaving the caravan, but the killer wouldn't have left the photo if Graham had stayed in it.
4 - Did I miss exactly why the first woman was killed (the body in the scrub)?
5 - What was the point of the tinitus, other than to isolate Graham, which doesn't work because the night shift in a caravan does the job on it's own.
6 - Does anyone else feel that the film cheats by flipping from unconventional to generic when it pleases? I mean, a "challenged" kid whose weird compulsions hold the secret to the killer's identity... seem familiar, doesn't it? Also the cop-hero who is at odds with his superior officers and relegated to the dead-end job which happens to place him right at the pivotal spot to solve the case. All taking place on christmas eve? I mean, I'll allow it, but not without slight eye-roll.
7 - Further to 6, this film is wants to be unconventional, but requires the viewer to draw on their collected understanding of (Hollywood) plot devices and story-arches to fill in spots that aren't totally clear.
8 - They burned a ute for a 5 second shot, and a 5 second sub-plot.

That said, I really did love this brilliant film. The acting was fantastic, and I hope all involved get more regular work (Nicholas Bell can be seen on Micallef's "Newstopia"). I really enjoyed the cinematics, such as the colours they wrung out of night-time shots. Very good, indeed.

[–] icdiamond 16 years ago

Hi there,
1. I think his behaviour was of anger on the train and later he was calmer but still a psychopath no doubt- I definitely believe Findlay was the murderer. Also as any good psychopath does, he thinks he is smarter and so able to go to police caravan and taunt the policeman - unfortunately his plan goes astray because he has met a copper (McGahan) who is completely ambivalent about his job and misses all the clues as to the killers identity. So Findlay gets angry again and loses his temper and shoots him.

2. The photo of dog definitely points to Findlay again because of the shirt but I am not sure that McGahan actually connects him to the murder only to the fact that he is a 'person of interest'. I think when he is shot at by Findlay he is none the wiser that he is the train/fiance' murderer.

3. I think we are supposed to empathise with Graham for doing a good thing - ie saving Phil but getting chastised for it and so we further see his deeper isolation.

4. Yes no idea about that.

5. A modern and more common problem tinnitus, which helps us empathise with McGahan as a normal average guy with his everyday problems.

6. He doesn't solve the case, he is no hero, he misses all the clues. That's the tragedy.

7. (shrug...)

8. I don't like utes anyway. ;-)

9. Girl probably can't remember what happened because she has post traumatic stress disorder and can't remember - her brain has blanked it out. Or its not important....

Great movie - loved it
cheers

[–] xr6guy 16 years ago

OH

And..

The killer Finlay wears the same wrist watch the whole movie :p

[–] watchkoreanmovies 16 years ago

I felt Finlay didn't kill her on the train because then there would be no witness to what he did
He wanted someone to know what he did and that HE did it

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] phyzzique 16 years ago

I liked this film very much and was very impressed with the acting. The script was thought-provoking. But, as Judge Haller (Fred Gywnne) asks in 'My Cousin Vinny': "What's a ute"?

[–] homisthecat 14 years ago

Ute = utility vehicle, usually a coupe passenger compartment with an attached bed

see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup%C3%A9_utility#Australia

[–] zachanscom 14 years ago

I'm going to justify my lack of insight here by saying the film was very quiet when i viewed it, but i don't get the significance of the photos possessed by lucky phil. towards the end, he is looking at the photos, sees the gun and then at the corner is finlay standing there with the same shirt he wore for the first caravan interview. what was the point of those photos again?

[–] cathyguy 13 years ago

#5
Remember the girlfriend saying how sounds cancel out. Right after the killer shoots the driver passing by you hear the constant beeeep of the car horn. The horn cancels out the sound in his ear so that Graham can hear the killer's footsteps and shoot his feet under the car. If Graham had not had tinnitus he may have not heard the footsteps due to the car horn?!?!

His was destiny was guided. No tinnitus, no caravan duty, no dead killer. Why the whole talk about heaven and hell? Why the imagery at the end of the movie?

"I believe in coincidences, I just don't trust them." Source debatable.

[–] Sknydpr 13 years ago

If Graham had not had tinnitus he may have not heard the footsteps due to the car horn?!?!

Brilliant answer! I missed the girlfriend telling him that, although I remember the scene, but I don't think I'd have put two and two together even if I had.

http://www.hboforum.com/

[–] Maverick356 11 years ago

The ute was a funny one, it was probably a wreck that cost next to nothing but then you have to get permits etc to be able to burn it. Waste of time considering it didn't lead anywhere.

[–] ptrmlr 11 years ago

What about the dot/stain/sticker Lavinia finds on her picture frame after it's been cleaned (near the end of the film)?
Looked to me, like one of those coloured dots used in Phil's books. Which makes the whole scene even weirder... opinions?

[–] Clemencedane 11 years ago

I think Lavinia found a bit of red paint that they missed when they cleaned it off for her. That only reminded her that someone had written a message on it and the police thus far had refused to tell her what it said.

[–] Clemencedane 11 years ago

I thought it was an interesting and thought-provoking film. I wasn't ever bored. However, I did wonder what the bigger point was in the end, if there was one.

I also thought Graham would make the worst detective ever (or maybe it's just that he wasn't motivated.) When Craig came into the caravan the first time, I thought, "That's him! He just cut his hair, but it's him." Graham didn't even flicker. If he were a keen detective I would have expected his eyes to flick over to the poster and back to Craig. As everyone has already mentioned, the shirt in Lucky Phil's snapshot matched Craig's and Lucky Phil told Graham there was another car in the area near the murder scene and it was white and he had the plate number. Graham just brushed Phil off.

What really got my antennae going was when Craig said to Graham, "I'll bet the sergeant tore a strip off of you for leaving the caravan last night." Craig only knew Graham left the caravan during that period because he (Craig) waited for Graham to leave so that he could put Lavinia's picture in front of the caravan. Otherwise, how would Craig have known about the incident?

The killer seemed to have some remorse already in the train car because as he advanced towards Lavinia he was crying and also put the gun to his head for a moment. And of course asked if anyone had called the police. Craig (if he's the killer) was calmer when he came into the caravan, but he still seemed to be doing his best to call attention to himself, i.e., get caught.