Other Voices (2000)

Sorry, this movie sucks

I wanted to but couldn't!

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

What the hell did I just watch? Seriously, what the hell did I just watch? I'm trying to come up with a way to describe this movie and the only thing I've got is…what the hell did I just watch?Phil and Anna (David Aaron Baker and Mary McCormack) are a New York City couple living inside a meat locker of a marriage. They barely even acknowledge each other's presence and as the movie begins, we find out that Phil and Anna are cheating on each other. Anna tells her incompetent therapist (Stockard Channing) that she's seeing another man and Phil tells his indestructible a-hole of a best friend (Campbell Scott) that he's seeing another woman. Anna also spills her guts about her lifeless union to her high strung brother with Tourette 's syndrome (Rob Morrow). An inexplicably French private investigator (Peter Gallagher) gets involved, there's a scene in a night club with a punk rock band that has a bald, fat lead singer in a neck brace and a diaper, Mary McCormack does NOT get naked and the secret of Phil and Anna's adulterous relationships turns out to defy both explanation and understanding.A lot of films have twists and I shy away from spoiling them in these reviews unless the movie is so gosh awful I feel it's necessary to remove any possible temptation to watch it. Other Voices is bewildering instead of bad, but I couldn't spoil the twist in this story even if I wanted to. That's because if I told you exactly what the twist was, you wouldn't believe me. I mean, I've seen a lot of nonsensical plot developments but this one pretty much takes the cake. The reveal of this secret is like mashing up South Park with The Empire Strikes Back and finding out that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's hermaphrodite mother.This movie isn't without redeeming qualities. Jason Campbell is fun to watch as Phil's unrelenting jerkwad of a best friend. He masterfully portrays the sort of foul-mouthed, douchebag that you can't imagine was ever anything but the joyfully horrible creature that he is right now. He's like Dan Fielding from Night Court after smoking a big bag of meth. People like that are unbearable in real life but are a lot of fun to watch from a distance in fiction. Rob Morrow also does a nice job as Anna's brother, making all of his involuntary starts and ticks seem like completely natural parts of the character. I also found Peter Gallagher doing a mediocre French accent pretty amusing for some reason.That's about it for the positives. David Aaron Baker spends 90% of the film with the same pained expression on his face. Stockard Channing seems more like someone who needs therapy than an actress playing a therapist. There's an out-of-left-field Hitchcock homage. Gallagher spends an inordinate amount of screen time wearing the Gortex hat from that Seinfeld episode. And it appears as though an early draft of the screenplay had some sort of subplot involving a protest against urban redevelopment, but about 98% of it was apparently cut out of the final script.Other Voices almost defies classification. What it reminds me of is watching a foreign film and getting lost in the different emotional tones and social references of an alien culture. Maybe this is an accurate picture of how people live in New York City. Maybe the whole thing is just an extended brain fart from writer/director Dan McCormack. I don't know which it is, only that you shouldn't waste your time on this film.

I just caught this film on cable. I've never heard of it before. Had to view it 2 times because it blew me away! Unlike many films today, it really made you think; every little subplot wasn't explained like you're an idiot, it is riotously funny, great little thriller-plot. However, it's the sub-plots the keep you going. You have to see it twice, just to catch everything. Anyway, I just loved it. One of the most interesting movies I've seen in a while. I agree with some of the other comments: Why aren't I hearing more about this movie. I expected it to be of cult status by now. Oh yeah, did anyone catch the credits? They are almost as funny as the movie.

This movie is a total romp. Campbell Scott is the man to watch. Try not to miss a word he says. I can easily imagine this thing becoming a cult film. We have already adopted several family slang phrases from stuff he said.David Aaron Baker and Mary McCormack are gorgeous, and Rob Morrow as her brother is wildly over-the-top as a non-meds-compliant Tourette's Syndrome patient. Stockard Channing as the shrink from Hell just fell right in line with the rest of the madness instead of curing any. Do yourself a favor and see this thing. I'll bet you'll thank me for the nudge.

I found Other Voices a delightful brain twister/teaser. It had me thinking for hours after the movie was over, and going back again and again for another viewing. I'm surprised this movie is not more popular.David Aaron Baker's performance was what really pulled the plot along. He made ever lie and every dramatic twist of the plot seem believable. Even when panicking through the subway he had a certain elegance.Personally I think that David Aaron Baker needs to fire his agent, who ever that may be. He has wonderful potential that is being squandered in movies like Tao of Steve. This movie and Music Man have to be the only worth while movies I have ever seen him in. David Aaron Baker is a wonderful actor and even in badly cast roles his talent shines through.