Sound of Metal is a 2019 film directed and co-written by Darius Marder starring Riz Ahmed in lead role. Director Darius Marder makes his feature debut with.
Sound of Metal Movie Plot
Ruben Stone, a professional drummer but a drug addict, has a midlife crisis due to his deteriorating hearing ability while he tours the USA performing gigs and living in the RV with his girlfriend Lou. Ruben does not want to quit drumming but is forced to because Lou persists that he consider the doctor’s advice and stay away from loud noises to prevent himself from completely losing his hearing.
Ruben joins a special shelter group of people who suffer the same problem as him and finds a safe space for himself. He isn’t satisfied with himself or the life he is living and wants to return to his previous life but he has lost his hearing ability completely and only a implant would be able to get it back he can’t afford it. Ruben gives it a shot anyways by selling everything he has: the RV, drum sets , music equipment.
While all this is happening Lou has moved away from him and started a New Life in Paris with her father. Ruben gets implants against the will of his shelter group leader Joe. The implants didn’t help the way Ruben expected them to and he goes back to meet Lou but she is a completely different person now and they show their love and affection to each other. Ruben leaves the next morning but all the chaos and noises drives him crazy, Ruben removes his implant devices and sits on a bench in peace and reflects on the choices he made.
Sound of Metal Movie Cast
- Riz Ahmed as Ruben Stone, a drummer who loses his hearing
- Olivia Cooke as Lou Berger, Ruben’s girlfriend
- Paul Raci as Joe, a late-deafened and recovering alcoholic who runs a shelter for deaf recovering addicts
- Lauren Ridloff as Diane, a teacher who helps Ruben learn American Sign Language
- Mathieu Amalric as Richard Berger, Lou’s father
- Michael Tow as the Pharmacist
Sound of Metal Movie Review
After being in production for more than a decade Sound Of Metal surely has been worth the time for Darius Marder who is the writer and director of the movie. Portraying a story of a deaf drummer sounds like a crazy idea but after watching the movie it leaves you in awe and feels like a meditation in itself.
When watching a movie we experience the motions on screen and the sound but Sound Of Metal puts you in a place where you feel the silence and live it with the character. I was astounded by the way it made me feel, in ways of emotions as well as my physical hearing. As Ruben’s hearing deteriorated the makers of the film did an amazing job by making you hear what the character was hearing at the point of initial damage to the chaos in implants to the moment of complete stillness. It puts you through the pain of losing your hearing ability. And helps you connect with the character’s all the emotions of anger, frustration and peace. The true essence of the movie was captured through the sound tracks designed by Abraham Marder and Nicolas Becker that ranged from loud metal music to calm meditation music with vibration making it peaceful as the story developed as Ruben came to terms with his disability and at the point where he discovers the true moment of stillness.
Sound of Metal is not about entertaining you, it makes you undergo the characters’ arc and provides a point of view. Even though it is slow paced it will keep you invested with the heartwarming performances by Riz Ahmed, Paul Raci and Olivia cook. Riz Ahmed went a distance to fulfill his characters requirements by learning the American sign language, learning drumming and performing in front of a real crowd with Olivia cook to wearing auditory blockers while shooting. His efforts brought him a nomination for the best actor at the Oscars and many for awards. Paul Raci too received a nomination for the best supporting actor at the Oscars and won many other accolades for the same. Many talented actors Chelsea Lee and Jeremy Lee Stone that have performed in the film actually represent the deaf community in the real world and it is their contribution that brought the movie to life that makes it original and true to the core.
Sound of Metal Movie Critical reception
Sound of metal has a strong rating of 7.8/10 on IMDb. It has scored a whopping 97% on the Tomatometer with the critical consensus reading, ‘An evocative look at the experiences of the deaf community, Sound of Metal is brought to life by Riz Ahmed’s passionate performance.’
The Movie Culture Synopsis
Sound of metal is a must watch for anyone from all walks of life, it provides a fresh new outlook towards life. A good story backed by great performance and amazing sound designing has brought the movie to its true potential. To unlock the best experience from the movie, watching it with a good pair of earphones or headphones is a must. Sound of metal is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
