‘White Noise’ Movie Review- Quirky and Existential

White Noise (2022)- 2hr 16mins

Written & Directed by Noah Baumbach

Starring: Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, and Don Cheadle

Personal Rating: 9/10

Quick, Spoiler-Free Review

Adapted from the novel of the same name by Don Delilo; this quirky, colorful, joyride of a film was an exploration on the one thing that unites us all. Death. While ‘joyride’ and ‘death’ may seem contradictory, that’s the beauty of this film. The way Baumbach juggles two almost completely opposing tones in this film is nearly flawless. This movie will have you laughing and contemplating your humanity all within a 5 minute span. While this film isn’t exactly “family friendly”, this is a great ride for all who are a fan of off-beat comedies who also don’t mind a thought provoking journey into the darkest parts of our fears.

Objective Praises and Critiques

First off, this film is masterfully directed. It’s impressive to see the leap Noah Baumbach has made from directing smaller, more intimate films such as ‘Frances Ha’ and ‘A Marriage Story’ to the much bigger scope of this movie. He’s shown he can write incredible dialogue and this film has no shortage of such. Although I have heard large portions of this film are ripped directly from the book (I haven’t read it so I can’t attest). However, the quick, witty conversations all going on at the same time are directed and acted out perfectly where after multiple viewings you can still hear different conversations and jokes going on in the background. And speaking of the acting, this is one of Drivers and Gerwigs’ best performances. Gerwig was irresistible, but Driver was electric. He is unrecognizable and hilarious. Everyone else is fantastic as well, all of the kids did a great job with their scenes and are a big part of the humor in the movie. Aside from the writing and directing, the best aspect of the film was the production design. All of the sets were so colorful and vibrant. Specifically the supermarket and school. Even the ‘darker’ parts of the movie are somehow imbued with more color than most films. The only real criticism I have with the film is the third act which does stray away from the charm of the rest of the movie at times and I could see it turning some people off, but at the very end I do think it wraps up it’s themes and characters nicely.

My Personal Opinion (Spoilers)

When rating and reviewing movies I like to separate my personal enjoyment and my objective view of the film, so here is my personal opinion with spoilers included so only read above if you haven’t seen the film yet.

Like I said before, I had a blast with this film. I love quick witted comedies like this where even after repeat viewings I will hear new jokes everytime. The ‘Airborn Toxic Event’ chapter was one of the funniest and most entertaining parts of a movie I’ve seen all year. Outside of that thought, what kept me glued to the screen was the chemistry and performances of the two main characters. The odd way they communicate and show their affection for each other is hilarious and yet their ability to be open with each other and work throught their problems in the end is inspiring and motivating. The quote I used in the title is my favorite because it conveys the theme and main conflict of this whole movie. Babette’s fear of death being stronger than her love is what causes the whole conflict at the end. But this film shows us that to remain sane, we have to focus on the present, not the end. Connecting to what we have here and holding on to the ones we love will save us from the bottomless pit that is the dread of death that many people unfortunately fall into. This was the last movie I watch in 2022 which is fitting because it ended up becoming one of my favorites of the entire year. Many will be turned off by the weird, spiraling climax at the end and the humor may not be for everyone, but I had a great time and walked away from it with a new perspective on my fear of the end. Which is all movies we’re meant to be and more.

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