Sound of Metal Movie Review - An Engrossing Silence

Riz Ahmed powers this moving story of a drummer who starts losing his hearing ability.

Darius Marder's Sound of Metal opens with an energetic band performance with Ruben (Riz Ahmed) behind the drums. Despite all its blood-racing opening stretch, this is no Whiplash, and that should be taken as good news. The way we are suddenly plunged from this noisy environment to the quiet interiors of an RV signifies the instant change of turns Ruben will go through. In life, bad luck arrives with no prior warning or with a warning. At one moment, you may be the wealthiest person on the Earth, and by the next, you may find yourself bankrupt living on the tiles of the footpath. Likewise, Ruben goes through his band's merchandise when suddenly the surrounding noise goes blank. Notice how Marder shoots this moment. Typically, this change is accompanied by confusing expressions, complete with panicky gestures stitched together by handheld shots to elevate the situation. Here, Ruben almost freezes but doesn't lose his mind (not at the moment). The camera focuses on him as he scratches his ear and looks down, trying to evaluate his position.

When in the morning, his condition remains the same, he visits a doctor who breaks the sad news, "Mr. Stone, your hearing is deteriorating rapidly." It's only a matter of time before he goes completely deaf. The doctor, though, gives him a ray of hope. He mentions implants and how they help to regain the lost sound. Ruben is in, but his wallet is not. The operation will cost money - between $40,000 and $80,000 - and he is no rich man. When Ruben narrates the problem to his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke), the poor soul gets distraught but gives her best to remain level-headed. She contacts the sponsor who suggests meeting Joe (Paul Raci), the leader of a deaf community.

Joe demands commitment from Ruben, requiring him to shut contact from the outside world if he accepts to stay in the community. Initially, he refuses. In the morning, Lou sees him in rage and decides it best to enroll him in the community while she moves in with her father. At first, Joe gives the impression of being one of those inspirational teachers who help a troubled student to attain their potential. When he assigns Ruben a task involving taking his coffee and sitting in a room and writing, you expect this lesson to be called back later in a chest-thumping speech shedding light on its significance resulting in the character's growth. Sound of Metal recalls this incident, just not in the way described. Neither it develops a complicated romance using Ruben and Diane (Lauren Ridloff), a teacher. In another film, those smiling closeups and cuts from his face to hers would amount to a romantic subplot.

The strength of Darius Marder's film (written along with Abraham Marder) lies in its clear-cut goal. Sound of Metal knows where to go with its protagonist and what to do with him. There is a scene where Joe assigns all the members some tasks. Next to Ruben's name, he writes, "Learn how to be deaf," which is exactly what Sound of Metal is about: Acceptance. Yes, Ruben aces in reciting alphabets using gestures, but his heart yearns for the "normal" life. Those implants still seduce him. Then there is Lou, who is like a part of him. He dearly misses her. And why would he not? Look at the separation scene where she drives away in a cab. As she leaves, the camera stays with Ruben showing his devastation. We could have directly cut to the scene where he goes to the deaf community seconds after showing Lou driving away, but Marder chooses to hold for a minute to show how her departure really affected Ruben and how badly he wants to be with her. It adds weight to every decision he makes. Before I forget, Lou has a habit of scratching her arms. Try to remember it as this scratching plays a vital role in realization later in the film.

Like a child moving into a new school midterm because of his parent's transfer, Ruben feels left out in this new place. His close-up shots blur others around him. Even the sign language is translated in subtitles after Ruben learns to use them. In a way, the viewer feels accepted in this community. It is easy to identify with Ruben because this character is created from a personal space. When he violently beats the drum after learning about his hearing predicament, you understand his frustration. The terrific Riz Ahmed responds to his character's plight instead of sprinkling drama to give a manufactured or rehearsed performance. It would be terrible to not nominate him in the Best Actor category.

Above everything else, Sound of Metal reminds us how a particular destination set by us may not be the most fulfilling one. You set an objective and give your best to reach it, thinking it would solve all your problems. For Ruben, it is getting implants. For you, it may be a position at your workplace. But reality comes knocking with bitter lessons, and you realize after achieving your objective that it is proffering no happiness. This journey is not devoid of worth as it bestows an understanding within and clears the way for the real target. It should then not surprise that such profoundness is found in a story from the writer behind the excellent 2012 film The Place Beyond the Pines: a film about the circle of life. In a week populated with big names like Tenet and Mank, this quieter film makes the loudest noise.

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