Sound of Metal
2019
***½
Director: Darius Marder
Cast: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Amalric, Chris Perfetti, Michael Tow
Ruben is a reformed heroin addict who plays drums in a metal band fronted by his girfriend Lou. His world falls apart when he suddenly begins to lose his hearing. I understand that Darius Marder's film is ultimately a story about Ruben accepting his deafness, but after a captivating start his journey doesn't quite take the route I hoped and expected. Lou becomes irrelevant and when Ruben joins a remote commune for deaf recovering addicts, the loss of hearing ceases to be a medical issue. Nevertheless, Riz Ahmed and the rest of the cast are excellent. Academy Award winner for best sound and film editing.
