Thrash For Real: Film Review of SOUND OF METAL
WDCB’s Gary Zidek reviews the new film, SOUND OF METAL.
A professional drummer’s life is turned upside down when he begins to lose his hearing in the new film SOUND OF METAL. Riz Ahmed stars as Rueben, one half of a punk-metal-experimental rock group that also includes his girlfriend/lead singer Lou, played by Olivia Cooke. We get a sense of the couple’s day to day routine in the opening minutes of the film, we see the group perform at a small club, then wake up in an RV before hitting the road for the next gig. Ruben and Lou seem to love the itinerant nature of life on the road, driving all day, eating in diners and leaving every ounce of energy on stage during their intimate concerts at night.
Riz Ahmed as Ruben in SOUND OF METAL
Everything changes when Ruben abruptly loses his hearing right before a concert. Ruben conceals his condition from Lou and secretly seeks medical attention, and learns that his hearing situation is dire. An ear doctor informs him that he only has a small percentage of his hearing left and he won’t ever regain it. As far as potential solutions, the doctor alludes to an expensive implant surgery that could be a possibility down the road. The news devastates Reuben, who initially goes into denial hoping to continue the tour despite not being able to hear the music he’s playing. It’s revealed that Ruben is a recovering heroin addict and the band’s manager, fearing a relapse, recommends Ruben check into an addiction treatment facility that specializes in helping people who are deaf.
Olivia Cooke as Lou in SOUND OF METAL
The second act of the SOUND OF METAL focuses on Ruben’s struggle to adjust at the facility. But he eventually does, especially as he begins to bond with the children at a neighboring school for the deaf. Some viewers might get the sense that they know where the film is heading, an ending where the hero triumphs over adversity to find his true calling. But (fortunately) SOUND OF METAL doesn’t fall into conventional storytelling patterns and the third act moves into a new direction that moves pretty fast.
Ahmed is brilliant as Ruben, conveying the heartbreak and self-pitying nature the sudden loss of hearing would have on any of us, let alone a professional musician. Much of the film rests on Ahmed’s shoulders and he delivers an intense performance that’s hard to look away from.
SOUND OF METAL is the debut feature film for director and co-writer Darius Marder. The worlds he’s created here feel completely authentic, there’s almost a documentary feel. But what Marder deserves the most praise for his approach to sound design. There’s an immersive quality to SOUND OF METAL as we hear things from both Ruben’s perspective and those around him. Can you imagine the panic of having your hearing cut out in the middle of afternoon apropos of nothing? We’re able to better understand Ruben’s frustrations as he attempts to communicate with a pharmacist and we feel his isolation as he sits at kitchen table surrounded deaf people communicating via sign language.
Riz Ahmed as Ruben in SOUND OF METAL
