Austin Film Festival Movie Review: ‘Silent Notes’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Daniel Durant as Bruce in Toni Comas’ SILENT NOTES. (Photo Courtesy of the Austin Film Festival.)

One particular truth about human beings that everyone is aware of, is that we are supremely social beings. We love to be around others in some capacity, we love making a connection with others, and we love indulging in the creation of memory and moments with those we choose to surround ourselves. Because we love what it does for us, we love what it brings us from a joy perspective, and that is also why… we have no qualms with finding a partner. To have those elements day in and day out, and a family if we so choose. Because being around others really does fulfill us in ways we never thought possible.
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Sadly though, we learn how much it means to us… by outright not having it now and again. Because for every great story about two best friends that have known each other for decades, or a love affair for the ages, there are moments of loneliness we don’t talk about. Where those individuals yearned for connection. In fact, it is so important to us, our worst fear is having it robbed from us. Because we know that would devastate us and put us in a desperate space where we might do anything to have what we crave. Which does beg the question. What would we do to have connection if by chance the fundamentals of it were taken from us? Well, it just so happens that a film that recently debuted at the Austin Film Festival ponders upon that question in a powerful manner.

A feat that Silent Notes accomplishes by introducing us to a man named Bruce who is in the midst of a trying time in his life. For Bruce is losing his hearing at an alarming rate and that helps him to realize that this will ostracize him and isolate him because of how the world views differently abled individuals. Which puts him into a panic to find money for a surgery to maintain his hearing, to the point where he decides to sign up with the mafia as an errand man, to raise the money needed to get the implants that will restore his hearing, quickly. But making a romantic connection with a Mafioso in the organization, changes everything for Bruce. For he knows this man is the one and he is suddenly tempted to do whatever it takes to keep him safe and keep him around to maintain the true connection he’s been searching for.  

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Matt Riker and Daniel Durant as Ethan and Bruce in Toni Comas’ SILENT NOTES. (Photo Courtesy of the Austin Film Festival.)

Which really is a powerful and inventive way to explore the central theme. Because we don’t give that much thought to how communication is part of connection, nor do we think too much about how we ostracize and forget about differently abled individuals and isolate those same individuals, because we think we cannot properly communicate with differently abled individuals. Which allows for both of those elements to really showcase how much it matters to everyone to be connected and communicated with and the premise alone ponders upon how far we will go to get that. Because doing illegal acts and pondering upon how best to be near someone that lives a dangerous life, speaks volumes to our need.   
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All of which gives rise to a powerful feature. One that is also uniquely constructed in nature. For a fair chunk of the film is presented to us in silence, in part to help us understand the world that Bruce lives within because we should understand the life of someone that is about to lose what little connection they have to the world and know more about what differently abled individuals go through. But it also just features an unconventional love story. One that showcases how love knows no bounds, and how it really does fulfill us in ways we never thought possible. Which gives rise to real beauty in this story the kind that deeply move you and may in fact, bring one to tears, and the wonder of this feature doesn’t end there.

Because it also harbors some amazing representation. Since Daniel Durant, who plays Bruce, happens to be deaf, and it is important to see a differently abled individual on screen, and Daniel is simply riveting here. For he sells the power and the gravity of Bruce’s situation in a powerfully compelling manner. To the point where you truly do want to see him find the love he seeks. Not to mention, you really do want to see love conquer all, and all of these elements make for a powerful feature. One that is both beautiful and melancholy, and truly reminds us… that we all deserve love, and we all deserve connection and that perhaps we should worry less about what it would take to find that connection and worry more about why we aren’t offering it more.

To see ‘Silent Notes’ please visit the Austin Film Festival website. Also, stay tuned for more coverage from this film, courtesy of our interview with Star Daniel Durant, Director Toni Comas and Interpreter Matt Rymer.

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