"Sound Of Metal": Movie Review
Written By Alex Greenbaum
"Sound Of Metal" is a masterfully thought-provoking examination of the human spirit. Its unflinching beauty stems from a heavy subject matter and mind-blowing audio design that realistically places the audience in the unfortunate shoes of an individual undergoing severe hearing loss. Director/writer Darius Marder and writer Abraham Marder have outdone themselves in their first feature debut, with a jaw-dropping performance by Riz Ahmed that will go down as one of the great performances of the decade.
Ruben (Ahmed), a heavy metal drummer, begins to have a rapid decline in his auditory function. Trying to maintain a relationship with his partner Lou (Olivia Cooke) he eventually commits to a community for the hearing impaired.
With a story conceived by Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine") we bear witness to a narrative that appears to be personal for Marder or Cianfrance, which accentuates its realism. Characters exist within this world with pain, regret, denial, etc. and the drama is convincingly believable. Thanks to Daniël Bouquet's improvisational cinematography we are brought into a world that feels familiar and relatable, even without having personal experience with hearing loss. For a low budget art film, the Marder brothers should be applauded for extinguishing unnecessary cliches and maintaining sincerity throughout the film.
Ahmed, as the main character Ruben, delivers a performance that rivals some of the great acting performances of the past decade. Rubens's emotional conflict between his relationship with Lou, his quickly diminishing hearing, and past addiction is gorgeously realized through subtle expression and nervous ticks. Ahmed has quickly established himself with an acting portrayal that is beyond expectation, and rivals the likes of Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" and Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood". Cooke, Paul Raci, and Mathieu Amalric are excellent in their supporting roles as well, further demonstrating the film's ability as a whole to prompt visceral inspiration.
"Sound Of Metal" is extraordinary in most facets. It's sometimes bleak and true to nature delivery is sure to turn off individuals seeking a mindless escape, but they will be sorely missing out on a truly special film with a profound message. Between Ahmed's career-altering performance and the Marder brother's spectacular debut, "Sound Of Metal" is awe-inspiring.
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