Sound of Metal

Sound is a part of life. What happens when its existence becomes fragile?

Directed by Darius Marder, Sound of Metal is an empathetic character study on outgrowing our surroundings and dealing with a life-changing event. Riz Ahmed gives the best performance of his career as Ruben, a drummer who is going deaf due to his own decisions. Ahmed plays this role with restraint and low-key actions that make it all the more powerful and genuine. Marder and Ahmed have come together to make a refined character study that doesn't feel cheap or gimmicky. The movie thrives in silence with the movements and facial expressions of Ahmed telling the story.

Ruben is accompanied by his singer-girlfriend Lou. Seconds after meeting the two we learn that Ruben is losing his hearing. He meets with the doctor and gets the words wrong, and is told he has lost 80-90 percent of his hearing and shortly will lose all of it soon. Instead of causing a big scene, Ahmed approaches this subtly and uses quiet to emphasize the fear and denial of losing his hearing. He wants to play through it. Ruben is trying to push away his tragedy with noise, but it only makes it worse, 

Lou takes Ruben to a facility run by Joe (Paul Raci), and he emphasizes this is a place where he will learn to live with deafness. The film doesn't try to go down the route that everything magically is fixed at the end, instead, it is about acceptance. In his new life, Ruben is an observer of everyone around him; he is out of his element. The deafness causes his restless soul to find calmness.

This film would not be what it is without the sound design. As the audience, we are placed in Ruben's head and experience the world as he does. We hear muffled sounds as we are trapped in his auditory condition. The film is created to immerse you into the world versus observing.

Riz Ahmed learned how to play the drums for six months and studied deafness before shooting. Every move he and the supporting characters make feel so real and emotional. There is a depth to the performance that is so rare.

Sound of Metal has empathy in its core as it tells this very human story. The final scene of silence will be one that we will be thinking about for a while.