165. Sound Of Metal; movie review
SOUND OF METAL
Cert 15
120 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language, sex references
Last autumn Miss W's future mother-in-law was loading a delivery van when a car rolled down a gradient and smashed into her.
Over the next 48 hours, she had to agree for her leg to be amputated and her life changed forever.
She is an amazing woman and has turned incredible adversity on its head over the past six months.
Her story of facing life-changing loss came into my mind as we watched Riz Ahmed's character, Ruben, rapidly go deaf during Darius Marder's Sound Of Metal.
Ahmed gives a terrific performance as a drummer whose hearing disintegrates as he and his singer girlfriend (Olivia Cooke) are preparing for a tour.
The reformed drug addict is initially bewildered, then indignant and finally bursting with frustration at how he has been robbed of probably his most important faculty.
Sound Of Metal focuses on the physical and psychological effects on him as he initially believes he must tackle his devastation alone and then realises others are in the same boat.
Paul Raci plays the head of a centre for deaf people which doubles up as a summer camp for children with no hearing.
He helps teach Ruben harsh lessons to learn how to deal with his deafness and prevent him from falling back into addiction.
However, this is where Sound Of Metal courts controversy because it sets out a very clear stall against cochlear implants.
Thus, when Ruben seeks to restore his hearing, Raci's character, Joe, is implacably against it.
I have now learned that many in the deaf community have been resistant to cochlear implants.
They believe that deafness does not need to be “cured” and are proud of their culture - particularly sign language.
The movie goes further by trying to demonstrate that the implants don't work. I am not an expert on the subject but initial reading would suggest that this is not entirely fair.
Anyway, Sound Of Metal is a compelling movie, Ahmed's performance is certainly worthy of Oscar nomination. Meanwhile, the political debates will rumble on.
Reasons to watch: Riz Ahmed is superb
Reasons to avoid: Disability politics
Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8/10
The final word. Riz Ahmed: “(Sound of Metal) is a story of a guy who’s using his creative talent as an obsession to try and escape himself because he can’t sit with himself. And at the end of that project, I looked back and went: I’m not gonna do that anymore.” Men's Health
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