‘Sound of Metal’ Review: Riz Ahmed's Lead Performance Makes Him a Worthy Oscar-Contender
After spending the past few years in the Supporting Role category, Riz Ahmed’s latest performance in Amazon Prime Video Drama “Sound of Metal,” pushes him to the Lead and proves, he’s worth the part.
The film, directed by Darius Marder, was released in 2019 at the Toronto Internationa; Film Festival (TIFF) where it was acquired by Amazon. The film marks Marder’s first feature-length project that covers the life of Ruben (Riz Ahmed). During a series of adrenaline-fueled one-night gigs, itinerant punk-metal drummer, Ruben, begins to experience intermittent hearing loss. When a specialist tells him his condition will rapidly worsen, he thinks his music career — and with it his life — is over. Due to the COVID impact, like other films, it was forced to abandon a theatrical release and instead will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, December 4th.
Lou (Olivia Cooke) and Ruben are both struggling musicians who spend their days living out of their portable trailer, roaming from place to place. They spend their evenings playing metal music to sold-out crowds in club basements and back-rooms. The film begins with Ruben and Lou on stage, beginning their performance. The distorted sound at the beginning of the movie mimics the rapidly deteriorating hearing loss that Ruben is already experiencing, allowing the audience to experience his perspective. As he waits for the signal to start his movements on the drums, the voice of Lou is muted, and tapered to show that his hearing is already past the point of saving. As the guitar slips into the fifth chord, Ruben slams the drums, creating more chaos and mis-direction. Audiences are flinching against the high and low pitches that filter through Ruben’s eardrum.
As they press forward with their tour, you can audibly hear the absence of full sound while Ruben is playing the drums as the under beat of the film incorporates the ringing in the presence of loud noises. Throughout the film we are tossed back in forth between hearing through Ruben’s ruined eardrum and through normal occurrences, accentuating the stark contrasts between the two different sounds that has viewers tugging on their own ears to attempt to adjust.
As a recovering addict, the sudden and extreme loss of hearing sends Ruben into a tailspin, where Lou is forced to find other measures for coping. When speaking with Ruben’s mentor, they are referred to a unique treatment facility that helps recovering addicts and the deaf community cope not only with their addictions, but with the hearing loss as well. Abandoning their tour, Ruben reluctantly leaves the band to seek immediate treatment, hoping for a quick recovery and easy solution. The center conflict is internal as Ruben desperately seeks to recover what he has lost at the expense of everything he has ever known. By walking away to seek treatment, he loses his lifestyle.
During his stay at the treatment facility, his mentor Joe (Paul Raci) takes Ruben under his wing and begins to introduce him to his new world, identifying coping mechanisms that can help begin his transition into a world without sound. Marder specifically noted that:
“Deafness is not silence. It’s a different way of experiencing sound and vibration.” - Marder
This is an important theme that Marder chooses to highlight throughout his film. The absence of sound that we are used to everyday, does not mean silence. There are other ways to communicate and experience life through these new vessels.
At first, Ruben is reluctant to adapt. He has had to give up his tour, his music and live away from Lou for the duration of his stay. However, the longer he stays at the treatment center, the more he integrates into the community. He begins learning sign language through a Deaf school, learning to interact with other people in his community using his other senses and finds some semblance of peace.
While it is unclear how long Ruben has been at the center, towards the end of his stay he is still unable to fully accept his new position in the world. Determined to make things right and fix his hearing, Ruben sells off his possessions to save money for a Cochlear Implant surgery. When the surgery is successful, Ruben again struggles to adjust to the simulated sound – expecting his hearing to return to normal, Ruben finds the new sound is more distracting and harder to adjust than before.
Throughout the film we can hear the distant ringing in our own ears in moments of loudness. In moments of stillness, we are met with the unequivocal quiet, limited background noise and just the faint hum of sound that can be heard over movements and interactions.
Ahmed as Ruben is initially reluctant to abandon his current lifestyle to learn how he co-exists in the Deaf community.
The film overall is a story of quiet contemplation and reflection as we struggle with Ruben along his path to redemption. Ruben is used to a world of noise and racket and when that is suddenly taken away, he is left with his thoughts and limited distractions. As the loss of hearing takes hold, he descends deeper into his own mind where his addictions lie. Not only does Ruben learn how to communicate again, he has to learn to deal with the new sound and vibrations of the world and reckon with his own thoughts. In these moments of stillness, we can see the growth and reflection.
Ahmed’s portrayal is heartbreakingly realistic and as the audience views the new world from his eyes and through his ears, you can sympathize with his very credible performance. Ahmed discusses that he learned sign-language for the role and played the drums, citing the 7-month long learning process as one a challenging, but enriching experience.
In an already crowded Lead Actor Category for the Academy Awards, Ahmed’s performance makes him a worthy contender. Be sure to stream Sound of Metal on Amazon Prime tomorrow.
Grade [A-]