Noises Off…

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, Noises Off… follows a troupe of performers, including Marilu Henner’s Belinda, Carol Burnett’s Dotty, and Christopher Reeve’s Frederick, as their efforts at putting on a play are consistently stymied by a series of arguments and disagreements – much to the exasperation of said play’s director (Michael Caine’s Lloyd). Filmmaker Bogdanovich, armed with Marty Kaplan’s screenplay, delivers a frequently hilarious yet increasingly erratic comedy that does, in the end, fare best in its first half, as the movie boasts, at the outset, a series of exuberant performances that are heightened by the growing emphasis on farce-friendly attributes and elements – with the picture undoubtedly benefiting from the terrific, funny efforts of a top-to-bottom roster of energetic players. And while Bogdanovich has packed the first act with a number of laugh-out-loud humorous bits and visual gags, Noises Off… progresses into a midsection and second half that generally struggles to maintain a consistent level of over-the-top hilarity (ie it’s just too much silliness, ultimately) – which does, in the end, confirm the film’s place as a decent-enough piece of work that probably could (and should) have been streamlined and tightened up.

**1/2 out of ****