Viktor (Joachim Król) is the consummate hit-man, a stealth-like killing machine invisible to both his targets and law enforcement. But when bizarre circumstances lead him to cross paths with a mysterious woman (Nadja Uhl), Viktor decides to risk everything for love. Now as the police close in on him, only the most daring plan will allow for their escape.
A sleek thriller, Soundless takes a typically preposterous super-hit-man and treats his character and methods with enough realism to generate unexpected empathy and tension. Viktor (Joachim Krol, The Princess and the Warrior) specializes in complicated hits requiring scrupulous preparation and absolute stealth. An unhappy blonde woman named Nina (Nadja Uhl, What to Do in Case of Fire) ends up at the site of a kill by chance, but he lets her live--and finds himself following her and saving her from an attempted suicide. Meanwhile, a perfectionist cop (Christian Berkel, Downfall) is slowly closing in on Viktor. These elements sound generic, and they are. What makes Soundless compelling is the movie's low-key, streamlined style, which draws in the viewer to both the thrills and the unusual romance between Viktor and Nina. It's a movie that seems to cry out for a remake with Bruce Willis...only Hollywood would undoubtedly overdo everything that makes Soundless so alluring. (Soundless was produced by the X Filme Creative Pool, a collective that's also responsible for Run Lola Run and Goodbye Lenin!--clearly, an eclectic and ingenious bunch.) --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
superb gem from Germany:
This is one of the best films of 2008 and what delights me is it's not from the cookie cutter factory, that is Hollywood. Slick but with a plot that evokes emotions.
I enjoy the way this director lets the story unfold beautifully and i also love the perfect sparks of chemistry between the talented actors. It's deep but not the kind that dozes you off. It's a story that will make you understand fully why some people just know how to do a particular job and nothing else.
Words of caution... more info
SOUNDLESS, of Mennan Yapo, is an intellectual movie, of a
style that has been made popular with C.S.I on television,
for example. It brings to the forefront, the most
advanced forensics techniques used by police
investigations, to pursue, arrest and prosecute the
most sophisticated professional contract killers in the
world. Having many visually appealing elements, from an
outstanding photographic quality, and the many scenes filmed in
the outdoors,... more info
A Dark, Tense, Atmospheric German Thriller:
LAUTLOS (Soundless) is yet another film by Director/writer Mennan Yapo (with writing assists form Lars-Olaf Beier) that takes on a story of a hit man on his last job and makes it into a fine psychological thriller. The cinematography, lighting, music and pacing of this strangely dark film provide an excellent background for a superb cast of actors. Viktor (Joachim Król) is an aging hit man, a perfectionist whose reputation as a genius killer includes the fact that he works so well that he is... more info
"German Director Mennan Yapo gives us a Dynamic Thriller ... Koch Lorber Films":
Koch Lorber Films and X Filme Creative Pool present - "Soundless" (aka: Lautlos) (2004) (96 mins/Color) --- Under Mennan Yapo (Director), Stefan Arndt (Producer), Tom Tykwer (Producer), Lars-Olav Beier (Screenwriter), Torsten Lippstock (Cinematographer), Gary Marlowe (Composer (Music Score),Ben Mono (Composer (Music Score), Dirk Vaihinger (Editor), Simon Boucherie (Production Designer), Rene Richter (Executive Producer), Alexander Stigler (Executive Producer), Katharina Ost (Costume Designer), Alexander von... more info
