Adjusting to unforeseen circumstances and tough situations is one of life’s most challenging aspects and something we all must face at one point or another. For those of you reading this film review that have experienced 2020 in its fullness, I’m sure we all have at least one instance where this rollercoaster of a trip around the sun has required us to make lemonade out of the most tart lemons imaginable. Life’s peaks and valleys may vary for each of us in severity, but facing new challenges head on and rising from the unexpected to become a person who, while not familiar, is just as strong as we’d hoped to become on our previous path is essential in each case as we overcome trying times. Director Darius Marder’s fantastic new film follows a fictional character seeking to adjust to a sudden new reality and identity that arises at an inopportune time.
Sound of Metal brings us alongside Ruben (Riz Ahmed), a former drug addict and drummer in a heavy metal band who has seemingly finally achieved balance in his life and found love with his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke). After having his ear drum pop during a performance, Ruben thinks little of it at first, but soon learns he is losing his hearing and quickly. With his idyllic life and existence as he knows it hanging in the balance, Ruben must adjust to his new reality, prevent a spiral back into his old life, and try to keep some semblance of sanity.
The way that Sound of Metal depicts the reality of slowly becoming deaf and how the film depicts the reality of those in the Deaf community is sure to be a topic of discussion that comes out of the film’s wide release and rightly so. As an audience, we are able to witness the range of emotions that Ruben experiences as he processes his new condition. From the expected confusion and pain at its suddenness to the fallout as he adjusts to what life will be for him moving forward and the fallout after Ruben makes a major decision in how to handle life as a person with hearing loss. His subsequent feelings of loneliness and disappointment in response to especially what many would think should be a joyous experience provides lessons for us all in how we handle adversity and how to respond to sudden changes in fate whether it be acceptance or fighting to regain what was lost. Ruben finds that life as he knew it had been forever changed regardless of what he attempted in seeking to turn back to time, but in his struggles, he eventually finds the peace he had reached at the beginning of the film. Life is marked with setbacks and the disappointment of embarking upon paths that don’t set out in the direction that we necessarily envisioned as we first embarked on our respective journeys, but the resiliency of adapting to our circumstances and finding new pathways that set us in the same direction that we intended can be just as fulfilling, containing the successes that we’d hoped for in the first place. Through Ruben’s story, we see that contentment in life often lies in accepting that life’s imperfections can lead to happiness in ways previously unforeseen. The film also provides substantial commentary on addiction issues as Ruben’s experience sits at the nexus of his sudden traumatic event and his ongoing struggle with remaining away from substance abuse. In both instances, we see how the power of community and having others with whom you can empathize is pivotal in conquering not just the new terrain of having to adjust to a new identity or beating back the illness of addiction, but in achieving tranquility and happiness in general.
Riz Ahmed has received rave reviews for his performance in Sound of Metal and every bit of praise heaped upon the young actor is well deserved. The way that Ahmed portrays the moment that Ruben wakes up and realizes his loss of hearing isn’t a one-night fluke, is extremely convincing in the raw panic and confusion that we see onscreen buoyed by the realism in the character having panic set in but not a full-on, cinematically dramatic freak out. This subtlety increases the realism allowing for increased empathy as well from audiences that can’t help but put themselves in Ruben’s shoes. Ahmed also is fantastic in portraying the emotional spectrum one would expect to see from a person experiencing such a traumatic medical event. Frustration, panic, fear, all the stages of grief Ahmed hits out of the park in his portrayal in one of the year’s most clear-cut nomination worthy performances. Olivia Cooke performs well in portraying the perspective of a loved one and what the effect such an event would have on those close to a person suffering from a sudden medical event. Paul Raci also shines in a small but superb supporting role as Joe, who runs a Narcotics Anonymous community specializing in serving hearing impaired patients. Raci, who himself is a child of deaf adults and sings in a rock band that performs in American Sign Language, makes the absolute most out of his screen time, sharing an extremely emotionally impactful scene with Ahmed at a pivotal part of the film.
Sound of Metal is one of 2020’s best films and a powerful story of overcoming adversity, compassion, and healing. Representation for persons with impairments in film is sparse, and often problematic when it is shown, so the obvious care put into the depiction of hearing loss in the film, along with their onscreen involvement and obvious consultation makes director Darius Marder’s effort that much more impactful. A sound design Oscar nomination should be in the bag for this film (along with a nomination for the amazing Riz Ahmed) as it expertly conveys Ruben’s loss of hearing with muffled distortion and makes plain fully how frustrating it must have been to experience. The depiction of sound following a major change for Ruben and its use of electronic distortion also feels uber-realistic and provides a sense of realism that allows for empathy and the audience to feel what it is to be in Ruben’s shoes. Sound of Metal is both a fresh portrayal of a community we’re not often treated to in film and an emotionally resonant story of accepting what makes us unique and life’s unexpected curveballs.
Image: Amazon Studios
