Welcome back to ‘A Brief Review’ a series of brief reviews on films from the present day and all the way back in time. Hoping to filter through the commotion and give some decent reviews of some rather decent films.
And the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role should
have gone to…. Riz Ahmed! For me, there was only one winner at the 2021 Oscars,
and it should have been Riz Ahmed for his stunning performance in the Sound
of Metal. Directed by Darius Marder the co-writer of The Place Beyond
the Pines (2012) which I think is an extremely interesting film about
life’s twists and turns, the Sound of Metal documents the life of a
heavy metal drummer called Ruben (Riz Ahmed) whose career is flipped upside
down as he comes to terms with a rapid deterioration in his hearing. Anxiety and
rejection take over as Ruben half-heartedly agrees to join up with a small deaf
community run by Joe (Paul Raci), a thoughtful war veteran who strives to help
Ruben in coming to terms with a world without hearing. Riddled with addiction
and regret, Ruben needs to find some stability, understanding that being deaf doesn’t
have to be such a negative thing, he must alter his life, but ultimately, he
will become a better person because of it.
The Sound of Metal details the denial and deep routed
fear that comes with life changing health issues. Early on in the film Ruben is
told that he’s already lost 80% of his hearing, with the last part soon to
follow if he doesn’t start making serious changes to his lifestyle. Ruben decides
to ignore these warnings and keep working with the notion that everything will
be fine, one show after another. Obviously, everything will not be fine, and even
though Ruben was warned, he would never be ready for the experiences that would
follow as he navigates a life without sound. Though his deafness takes centre
stage, The Sound of Metal is also a very accomplished story about addiction. As
Ruben becomes completely deaf, Joe identifies Ruben immediately as a recovering
addict, knowing that this would be an extremely hard moment in Rubens life, a
time that would seem easy for him to fall back into the cycle of drugs without
his work to keep his mind occupied. With Joe, Ruben has an opportunity to forget
the demons of his past, whilst being able to move forward as a role model in
his new life.
Although the Oscars failed to recognise Riz Ahmed’s genius
in the Sound of Metal, they did manage to acknowledge the unforgettable
sound design. As Ruben’s body constantly changes, we are right there with him throughout.
Whether it’s the muffled conversations, fades into darkness and even the
complete silence, Darius Marder is a clearly a director who believes profoundly
in placing the audience into the shoes of the title character. It wasn’t just
an achievement as a brilliant story, it was proof of what is possible in cinema
today. A tangible, atmospheric experience that will certainly become an unforgettable
film for many years to come.
I constantly run out of superlatives to describe how much I
loved Riz Ahmed in The Sound of Metal. An actor who went out of his way
to learn the ways of American Sign Language and the art of drumming to create
an authenticity to his character like no other. As charming as this effort in research was, the significance
of his performance lies in more than just research and hard work. Ahmed was
truly able to become Ruben in a number of different moments in his life. Whether
Ruben was experiencing anxiety and rage as he enters into the unknown, this
movie managed to achieve something great. The ability to locate genuine, frantic
energy in the beauty of sound.
Darius Marder’s charm in direction has provided a film that relentlessly provokes thought well after the viewing, a heart-breaking story of loss and addiction that you just cannot take your eyes off. It simply has not received the praise it so duly deserves.
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