The Academy Award for Best Sound generally goes to bombastic
action-oriented movies like 1917, Dunkirk, Mad Max: Fury Road,
and Gravity—movies that deserve it because their sound designs help the
viewers feel as if they are right in the middle of the action. Hopefully, the
Academy will recognize the drama Sound of Metal because its sound—or
lack thereof—is essential to the film's story and its protagonist.
Sound of Metal concerns Ruben (Riz Ahmed), a drummer
in a heavy metal band who suddenly loses most of his hearing. His girlfriend
and singer of the band, Lou (Olivia Cooke), immediately gets him help at a camp
for deaf people. Ruben, however, has other plans, like an expensive operation
that he hopes will restore his hearing.
Sound of Metal is a little predictable story-wise,
but what makes this far superior to the typical TV-movie-of-the-week is a
complex, not-always-very-likable main character created by director/co-writer
Darius Marder, an intense performance by Ahmed, and a great sound design by
co-composer Nicolas Becker. We do get to hear what little Ruben can hear, which
is nothing but low, muffled sounds. Becker makes Ruben's sudden loss of hearing
very realistic and very scary.
Sound of Metal is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
*** Stars (Out of Four)
[Lead image: courtesy Amazon Studios]
