There was a moment in Sound of Metal where I realized this film was the opposite of an inspirational story. I don't mean it's dark or nihilist, I mean it doesn't look for cheap disability story cliches. Instead it tries to tell a human story. Sound of Metal wasn't about a man's tragedy. It was about his rebirth. This story of a rock drummer who loses his hearing in the process discovers who he can be avoids all the cliches about "disability" movies and becomes about something else.
There were two aspects of the film which truly struck me. First, the remarkable performance of Ahmed, coming into his own as a leading man and as an A-list level actor. His performance here is well rounded, layered, and complex. He is captivating to watch and his Ruben is a fully developed character. So much of the movie hinges on him inhabiting this role and he does so completely. He is a revelation.
But next is the work of first time feature director Darius Marder. He finds a way to tell his story both visually and through sound. There is a lot of talk about the sound in Tenet but this film takes the cake for some of the most creative use of sound I have heard in a while. He tells so much story through sound, or the lack of it, or the distortion of it. The film, which uses closed captions, is also told visually. The film forces its audience to use its eyes to get much of what is being expressed and communicated. All of this together creates a truly remarkable film unlike most others.
Together these artists have put together a film that is truly unique and fundamentally an inspiration.
Sound of Metal
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Matthew Amalric
Director: Darius Marder
Writers: Abraham Marder, Darius Marder
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