Sound of Metal

Masterpiece! I was expecting a movie like Whiplash but this one is far better. Whiplash is a story of "If you work hard, you succeed." This one is "If you work hard, you succeed, then one day you can lose everything in a second, and if you work harder, you can realize that "everything" is actually nothing." A tribute to stillness...

I was incredibly fortunate to have seen Sound of Metal at the Toronto International Film Festival including a Q&A after with the director and cast. Whereas a lot of films may take the storyline into melodramatic territory, Sound of Metal explores not only the reality of those who are deaf which is so poorly represented in film and television but also the destructive nature and high cost of denial and self-deception in the face of hard truths.

By focusing on someone whose entire existence revolves around a world of sound losing that which defines his life, it gives the viewer pause to consider what life can be like when we learn to accept and let go. There is so much more to life than the small corners of existence we live in and this film paints that reality with both tremendous empathy and a bluntness that lesser writers and directors would avoid.

In addition, one really has to commend the direction and design of this film's audio. It is clear that a great deal of thought went into how to use sound in this film. From the in-your-face pounding of metal music at the start through the muffled reality as the protagonist loses his hearing to the sense of peace in the moments of silence, it is clear that a great deal of painstaking detail was crafted in conveying this film's reality.

Sound of Metal is one of those films which will keep you thinking for days after about so many aspects of life such as addiction and how some relationships may simply serve a purpose in the short term for our life but ultimately must be let go. How it illuminates aspects of the deaf community that few get a chance to see is important. But there is so much more to this film that to pigeonhole it as merely being about deaf people does a grand disservice to the many fantastic qualities in every aspect of its creation. I highly recommend taking the time to watch this film.

Riz Ahmed is one of those actors, you simply cannot take your eyes off. It's not solely because of his good looks. He's always intense and, most importantly, he always makes you care about the characters he's portraying. In this case, he portrays a rock drummer who is losing his hearing.

As with most of his roles, he more than did his homework. Ahmed moved to Brooklyn for a few months and learned to play drums, he also spent a lot time with people from the deaf community. He showed the same dedication for his Naz Khan role in 'The Night Of', he immersed himself in the character's background. Expect no less from this actor.

Having two partially deaf relatives, I could relate to this film. Especially one relative who refused to learn sign language, they would rather read lips. Thinking of my relatives initially denying their hearing loss, this film really hit home.

Why are people bringing up Riz being Pakistani? With every role, will he continue to be defined by his background? His character was named Ruben, it's assumed his character was Hispanic. Riz can play other nationalities and ethnic groups beyond his own South Asian background. He can certainly pass for Hispanic, especially in this film. When considering Riz for a role, directors and producers should think outside the box.

The ending was extremely effective, but not a surprise at all.

Another excellent performance from Riz Ahmed. A few more films like this and he will finally have earned his Oscar.

The Sound of Metal is definitely one of the top films this year and it has everything to do with the steak kar performances of the lead actor Riz Ahmed. With blond hair it's hard to even place him as a Pakistani playing the role. Ahmed is an intense actor and takes us into the world of a tormented drummer trying to come to terms with losing his hearing not long after overcoming addiction. This new battle takes him into an unfamiliar world where the sound design helps the audience feel what the protagonist must feel. This film selves into experimentation with the auditory experience of cinema. An absolute must-watch.

While I think Riz Ahmed gave award-worthy performance in this film, the implant misinformation lowered my rating. Getting implants is not a quick process and a good audiologist would never tell a patient you're just going to have to get used to it. It takes multiple visits before and after surgery. That being said, I really enjoyed the scenes with the deaf community and him working with the children. I would give the acting 10/10. It has a great cast.

I also want to point out that there's absolutely nothing wrong with a person with hearing loss getting implants if they choose to and they shouldn't be shamed for it. But, it's also okay if you don't want implants, nobody should make you feel bad about either choice.