“White Noise” (Universal Pictures)
Michael Keaton stars in the new film “White Noise.” It is good to see him on screen again. It has been a while since he starred in a movie, but one wishes he had chosen more wisely than this non-thrilling thriller in which to make his return. This movie is definitely a lot of “noise,” but no action.
In the film Keaton plays Jonathan Rivers, a well to do architect. He has an ex-wife by whom he has a son, and a new wife Anna (Chandra West) who has just found out she is pregnant. On the day she gives him that news she goes off to have a day with a friend and never comes home.
After she has been declared dead, Jonathan is visited by a man named Raymond Price (Ian McNeice). He tells Jonathan that Anna has been contacting him with messages for Jonathan. Jonathan is at first skeptical but eventually goes to see Price and listens to his story. Price explains that he communicates with the dead through “EVP” or “white noise” that comes through the TV set. It is more complicated than that but you get the point.
Through Price, Jonathan also meets Sarah Tate (Deborah Kara Unger). She is another person that Price helped and this forms a bond between her and Jonathan.
The movie plot finally evolves into a good ghost/bad ghost scenario as evil spirits also begin to communicate with Jonathan. They are planning evil events while the good spirits try to help people. None of it makes much sense and about midway through it all you just stop caring one way or the other.
Keaton looks bad, and acts awkwardly. His is a mannered performance with facial contortions being the order of the day. He was the best of the “Batman” actors but you wouldn’t know it from this performance. Opposite him, Unger is wasted in a thankless part.
The movie is rated PG-13 for violence and profanity, but with this rating you know it isn’t going to be really scary. Just mildly so.
“White Noise” looked good in the trailer for the film, but once you see the whole picture it just becomes so much static. Or perhaps a lot of noise full of sound and fury but signifying nothing, especially in the entertainment arena.
I scored “White Noise” a static full 3 out of 10.
