Directed by Darius Marder
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci
Rated R for language throughout and brief nude images
Ruben (played by Riz Ahmed) is a drummer in a heavy metal band. After one random evening, Ruben starts to slowly lose his hearing before becoming deaf. With the support of his band and romantic partner, Lou (played by Olivia Cooke), Ruben stays at a deaf community. With the help of Joe (played by Paul Raci) and the rest of the deaf community, Ruben learns how to deal with his hearing loss and how to communicate without words.
The Sound of Metal is a film that took me by surprise. I was not sure what to expect when I was first saw it. But this pleasant surprising film is a thought provoking one. I am not a deaf person nor do I know anyone who is deaf, so the film made me think on how I would react if this ever occurred to me. It’s a subject that is not often discussed, but I am glad it is. This film not only shows us the effects of going deaf, but highlights the deaf community. I applaud the film for highlighting this as its something we do not see often. The film makes a great effort to showcase a usually forgotten community and I enjoyed that.
However, I do not think this film would have succeeded without the actors in the film. Riz Ahmed fantastically plays a character who just feels lost by being deaf. He brilliantly displays his emotions on screen without conveying words. We can just look at his character and see his pain in this situation. Also, the actor has a lot on his plate in this film. Not only does he play the drums in the film, and does it well, but also communicates via the American Sign Language (ASL). I am unsure if he came into the role knowing how to drum and communicate using ASL, or if he had to learn as part of the role, but he does a fantastic job with the different “languages” he speaks.
Riz Ahmed does a fine job in his role, but I think Paul Raci as Joe steals every scene he is in. Joe is also deaf and takes in Ruben to help him transition into his new lifestyle. Raci’s role in the film is very simple. His role is grounded to Earth, as there’s not a scene in which he yells or gives an emotional moment like other films love to have. And this is what makes his role perfect. I loved how genuine the performance was. There is something about Raci’s performance that makes it so memorable. I cannot pin point what exactly it is but I think he’s the best part of the film. I could watch an entire film with just Raci in the deaf community.
The Sound of Metal is a fantastic film. One of the best films of the year. It would have certainly made my best of list in December. I highly recommend this one as there is much to enjoy.
4/4
Edward's Film Reviews 