As a musician, the most important instrument you have is your hearing. Sound of Metal, written and directed by Darius Marder and story by Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine), is a dramatic exploration of lost identity, and the challenge to accept a new normal.
Riz Ahmed plays Ruben, a heavy metal drummer who unexpectedly starts to go deaf before playing a show with his bandmate and partner, Lou (Olivia Cooke). Terrified and confused, Ruben learns that with only 20% of his hearing capacity left, his lifestyle as a touring musician is forced to stop. Ruben is stubborn at first to accept his new reality, which includes a residency at a hearing impaired rehabilitation facility of sorts. Led by a well-intentioned man named Joe, (Paul Raci), Ruben’s struggles eventually turn into small victories as he begins to welcome the beauty in the unknown.
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The way director Darius Marder works with sound, which includes the piercing ring of tinnitus and the strain of trying to understand muffled conversations, is eerily gripping. Combined with a phenomenal performance from lead Riz Ahmed (one that will certainly be discussed come awards season), Sound of Metal is an emotional film that will be hard to shake.
When I was younger, I used to wonder if living without sight or sound would be harder on me (as a film critic, this question is like Sophie’s Choice). My answer has varied throughout the years, and Sound of Metal really puts you into the mindset of a character who never got to choose. But the takeaway here is that being deaf isn’t a weakness or a handicap when viewed with the right perspective. When one sense is obstructed, it allows the others to expand and grow, leading to appreciating moments that, otherwise, may have gone unnoticed.
‘Sound of Metal’ is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video this Friday.
