Soundless

Undeniably stylish and entertaining enough on a strictly visceral level, the German-made Soundless is too derivative of other European thrillers (especially Run, Lola, Run, produced by the same team) to be really effective. Not only its basic premise but also several of its plot points have been borrowed from earlier movies, so viewers familiar with the genre will likely experience a frustrating sense of déjà vu. Meticulous, remorseless hit-man Viktor (Joachim Krol) has made his reputation on the strength of his dispassionate efficiency—he's a stone killer and proud of it—but that changes once he meets and falls for Nina (Nadja Uhl), whose love softens Viktor just enough to make him vulnerable. With the police hot on his trail, the assassin risks everything on a bold escape plan—one that he may no longer have the steely precision to carry out. Director Mennan Yapo employs cutting-edge cinematic technique to enhance the suspense and give his exhilarating action sequences the necessary bite, but this neo-noir exercise lacks the spark of originality that separates a competently entertaining film from a truly great one. Essentially a popcorn movie for the art-house crowd, this is optional. (E. Hulse)