A One Mann’s Movies review of “Sound of Metal” (2021).
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
In “Sound of Metal”, drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) and singer Lou (Olivia Cooke) are members of a two-piece heavy metal band – “Blackgammon” – touring in the southern US in their RV. Both are recovering addicts. When Ruben suddenly loses most of his hearing, the wheels fall off their freewheeling lives. Can Ruben find a way forwards through the deaf commune-cum-training facility of the kindly Joe (Paul Raci)?
Definitely NOT my choice of music. But Riz Ahmed had to learn to be quite an accomplished drummer to pull off these scenes. (Source: Amazon Studios).
Certification:
Talent:
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci.
Directed by: Darius Marder.
Written by: Darius Marder, Abraham Marder.
Slides work for drums as well as guitars as Ezra Marder (the director’s son?) finds out. (Source: Amazon Studios).
Review:
Positives:
- There is just SOOO much depth to this story: a character torn from his familiar world and struggling to adapt to the changes. It’s fundamentally a movie about acceptance of self. The last two minutes of the screen time are momentous: one of the best endings of a movie I can remember in recent memory. A truly religious experience.
- “Sound of Metal” won the BAFTA at the weekend for Sound, and deservedly so. It’s another leading character in the film, with the editing deftly weaving between the soundscape that most of us live in and Ruben’s perception. Apparently, the sound team used a hyper-sensitive microphone in Ahmed’s mouth to pick up the inner noises of his body.
- Both Riz Ahmed and Paul Raci are nominated for Oscars. Simply stunning performances from both of them.
- Although not nominated, I’d lob Olivia Cooke’s name into that frame too. It’s almost IMPOSSIBLE to see the same actress who played “Pixie” in the body of Lou. It’s a transformation akin to Charlize Theron’s in “Monster”. (In fact, it took me until the Paris scenes to actually recognize her!)
- Director Darius Marder – IN HIS DIRECTORIAL FEATURE DEBUT! – delivers a fabulous example of “show not tell”. All of the detail is present in the film to tell the story if you look for it. You don’t need dialogue to give Lou’s backstory: just a casual shot of her lower arm is enough.
An astonishing ‘grunging up’ by Olivia Cooke as Lou. (Source: Amazon Studios).
Negatives:
- It’s a very minor quibble but, with a 2 hour running length, the Paris scenes dragged just a little for me. I might have chosen to do a few nips and tucks there in the ‘party’ scenes. But I wouldn’t have wanted to lose much.
An uncomfortable Ruben (Riz Ahmed) attends a group session with Joe (Paul Raci).(Source: Amazon Studios).
Summary Thoughts on “Sound of Metal”:
When I was young, I remember being scared to death by an old black and white movie about a woman who went blind…. I remember she was travelling on a bus and the movie simulated the view through her eyes as her vision dimmed and then went black. (I’ve googled this without joy, so can’t place the movie!) I found the concept of suddenly losing one of your key senses to be utterly terrifying. So, I was fully engaged with Ruben’s issues in this movie.
I thought the movie was going to be downbeat and depressing. But, both with it’s positive portrayal of the deaf community and with the extraordinary ending, I found it to be a wonderfully heart-warming tale.
“Sound of Metal” has – I’m sure – a guaranteed slot in my Films of the Year list. Simply stunning and highly recommended, this is currently showing in the UK on Amazon Prime.
Trailer:
The trailer for “Sound of Metal” is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFOrGkAvjAE .
