Great World of Sound

Critics Consensus

The Great World Of Sound is a charming and unassuming film, thanks to breakthrough performances from Pat Healy and Kene Holiday.

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Movie Info

Martin answers an ad to train as a record producer, where he's excited by the prospect of signing undiscovered artists. The company, called Great World of Sound, partners shy, unassuming Martin with the gregarious Clarence and sends them on the road, visiting southern towns where the company has placed newspaper ads and turning motels into makeshift audition studios. Though an unlikely duo, they sign more acts than anyone else at the company. But when Martin takes a special interest in a young girl's "New National Anthem," putting up his own money and following her progress, he discovers that something's amiss with the enterprise. As things threaten to unravel, he's forced to weigh his nagging conscience against both his loyalty to Clarence and his own financial ruin. A playful, contemporary take on the classic American story of the confidence man, "Great World of Sound" evokes conflicted hucksters from Willy Loman and the Mayles Brothers' salesman to the seedy charmers of seventies Altman. With real-life audition footage weaved into the fictional narrative, Zobel's provocative debut explores the outer limits of our desire for celebrity, where big dreams beget bigger illusions, and fame always has its price.

Rating:

R (for language)
Genre:

Comedy, Drama
Directed By:

Craig Zobel
Written By:

Craig Zobel, George Smith
In Theaters:

Mar 30, 2007 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Feb 5, 2008
Runtime:

106 minutes
Studio:

Magnolia Pictures

Cast

Pat Healy
as Martin

Kene Holliday
as Clarence

Robert Longstreet
as Layton

Rebecca Mader
as Pam

John S. Baker
as Shank

Tricia Paoluccio
as Gloria

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Critic Reviews for Great World of Sound

All Critics (43) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (35) | Rotten (8)

Craig Zobel's soul-crushing docudrama slums in the real rags-to-rags tragedy of the lowest rung of the music industry.

Feb 22, 2008 | Rating: B- | Full Review…

Amy Nicholson
I.E. Weekly
Top Critic
Zobel ultimately comes down on the side of the suckers, whose need to make music -- even bad music -- gives them an unimpeachable dignity

Jan 11, 2008 | Full Review…

J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
Top Critic
A confident, sure-handed exercise focusing on the American Dream, turned nightmare.

Oct 26, 2007 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic
Anyone who has enjoyed laughing at the bad singers auditioning on American Idol, consider the independent film Great World of Sound your penance.

Oct 12, 2007 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

Peter Hartlaub
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic
The laughs flow.

Oct 6, 2007 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

V.A. Musetto
New York Post
Top Critic
A quiet, clever and sometimes moving film about an unusual grifting lifestyle.

Oct 5, 2007 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Ted Fry
Seattle Times
Top Critic
Zobel has crafted a winner here - a promising debut film that heralds the arrival of a thrilling new talent.

Jul 5, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

Matthew Lucas
From the Front Row
Great World of Sound is a corrosive antidote to "American Idol."

Feb 9, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

Christian Toto
Washington Times
The film's agenda becomes clear so early that the middle hour or so seems to be marking time until we get to the end.

Jan 11, 2008

Chris Hewitt
St. Paul Pioneer Press
It's evident early on that this is a scam, though the extent of the movie's con is surprising.

Oct 21, 2007 | Rating: 2.5/4

Sean O'Connell
Charlotte Weekly
Displays all the trademarks of a true indie effort, especially in its refusal to sentimentalize either the characters or their situations.

Oct 17, 2007 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing
Everybody's got a song to sing, and we'll all believe exactly what we want for just as long as we can.

Oct 17, 2007

Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly

View All Critic Reviews (43)

Audience Reviews for Great World of Sound

Sep 30, 2012

The debut feature of "Compliance" director Craig Zobel is an enjoyable little indie concerning the moral dilemma of taking an unethical job in these grim economic times. Pat Healy and Kene Holliday are great as two "record producers" whose job is to sign up musicians under the false pretence that they will launch their career.

The Movie W Super Reviewer
Dec 11, 2007

A steadily heartwrenching tale of the sale of the American Dream.

William G Super Reviewer
Dec 06, 2007

Clever serio-comedy about two out-of-work guys who take a job as talent scouts for a tiny record label who, unbeknownst to them, is a total fraud. Well crafted, sharply written, and winningly acted, "Great World of Sound" is a witty and ultimately poignant (if a bit repetitive) look at what people will do for fame and money.

Matthew L Super Reviewer