Movie Review: SOUND OF METAL

 

Sound of Metal

Amazon Prime
Directer: Darius Marder
Writer: Darius Marder (Screenplay), Derek Cianfrance (Story by), Darius Marder / Abraham Marder (Written by)
1 Hour 41 Minutes / Drama

Riz Ahmed portrays Ruben -a recovering addict, and the drummer of a two-person metal band. His girlfriend, Lou (Olivia Cooke - Bates Motel), is the singer and guitar player in the band. Moments into the movie, Ruben discovers that his hearing is going.

The realization something is wrong with his hearing has him freaking out. He seeks medical advice. The doctor tells him regardless of how the issue started, the thing he needed to realize was that he would not be getting his hearing back.

In denial, Ruben searches for a solution. However, his old cravings begin returning. He has been clean four years. This news could be a major setback. Thankfully Lou makes some calls. She gets him into a program for deaf addicts. The treatment center is an old farm house in rural America, set away from the city. In this program, Joe (Paul Raci -Goliath) tells Ruben:

"As you know, everybody here shares in the belief that being deaf is not a handicap. Not something to fix."

The programs has Ruben in class with children. They are all learning sign language. At first he is embarrassed, and frustrated. He appears isolated, and in need of doing something more.

The progression of dinner scenes in the program are heartwarming, as Ruben slowly accepts his deafness and works at learning more about sign language and Deaf Culture.

One of the teachers, Diane (Lauren Ridloff -We Are the Walking Dead)  

Just as Ruben begins moving forward, connecting with the kids, the others in the program, he finds himself still faced with a very different future from the one he'd planned. The only person who can decide the road he can now go down is ... Ruben.

The movie was suggested to me by a friend. He knows I study American Sign Language and thought it would be a movie I would like. He was absolutely right. It pulled me right in. You immediately connect with Ruben. He is a flawed character forced to face readjusting dreams, relationships, and his future. You find yourself both annoyed with him, but also rooting for him. When Ruben realizes the outside world is moving ahead without him, Ruben disappoints me. Although I fully understand the WHY behind his decisions, it made the movie more  . . . real, but parts still left me feeling somewhat empty. Like Ruben says, "It's life. It's just life."

The movie tackles serious society issues when it comes to Deaf Culture, the deaf, the hearing, and the idea of Cochlear implants. Implants are a widely controversial procedure within the Deaf Community. Ruben missed the point of the treatment center, of the program. His expectations were too great. His hopes too strong. His disappointment too real. 

The very end of the film was what made it go from a good movie, to a Great movie. Ruben has to hit his own rock bottom before he can truly begin his climb. I suspect the path won't be easy. He will be faced with constant challenges. I like to believe Joe DID reach him, that his connection with the kids at the center did impact him. Fantastic film!

With 7 award nominations, and 5 winning Sunset Film Circle  awards, SOUND OF METAL is an emotionally complex film! The acting is authentic. (There is no actual music playing throughout the film, which made me think of Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler (2008). 

Phillip Tomasso
Author of the YA deaf sports novel, SOUNDS OF SILENCE