A heavy-metal drummer's life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing.
Director: Darius Marder
Cast: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Amalric
Release Date: December 4, 2020
Genre: Drama, Music
Rated R for language throughout and brief nude images
Runtime: 2 h 10 min
Review:
Sound of Metal, Darius Marder's directorial debut, is a evocative, gritty drama that's simplistic on it's surface but emotionally dense. It's conceit is fairly simple and Marder's approach gives the film an lived in almost documentary feel to it. The pacing is leisurely but intense at the same time with Riz Ahmed's performance pulling you into his character's pain instantly. Ahmed displays a simmering frustration and anger especially in the early portion of the film but subtly softens it as the story moves along. He's able to emote so much via gestures or looks that you feel everything his character is going through as he learns to live with his situation. This is a film that doesn't have a lot of large movements to the story but Marder uses sounds to put us in the main character's head, its a deft move that brings a tangible connection to his situation. There's a sense of melancholy that permeates the entire film that makes it feel more authentic as we follow Ruben's journey of self realization. As such, we feel those highs and lows he experiences throughout the story. In lesser hands this kind of story might have felt too Hollywoodish or artificial but Marder and Ahmed deliver something meaningful and impactful.
A
