Review for ‘‘Sound Eye’’ by Rodney Mansour

Rodney Mansour's The Sound Eye is a dark, character-driven thriller, steeped in sadness and righteous fury, framed in a unique cultural context and using playfully original techniques that keep suspense and engagement up.

A tale of vengeance and its toll on the human psyche as told from a hardly-reliable narrator that survives violence & loss only to embark on a murderous quest for payback through his job as a videographer. Sound Eye looks at romance, devotion and healing from trauma through the lens of modern society, of traditional masculine roles, of religion, and of our unlimited access to information. In this way, it paints a well-rounded portrait of the protagonist and his struggle, which we can empathize with, if not accept.

The film's visuals are inventive to say the least, using a surprising plethora of different styles and techniques to express different emotional states and or points in time. Black & white mixes with saturated color shots, while unpredictable editing - with shots merging into one another, POV shots and parallels in motion - is combined with non-linear storytelling to produce a disorienting effect that helps ground us in the unhinged protagonist's view of reality. Although the lighting and color correction don't always hit the spot, and the sets or acting sometimes fall flat, the energy and creativity behind every aspect of this film is undeniable, and carries the atmosphere on its back.

In summary, Sound Eye is an impressive first effort from an obviously passionate director, and while the plot treads familiar ground, its point of view and inventive visual techniques make it stand out as a success for Mansour.