The Mosley Review: Sound of Metal
Losing a part of your senses is beyond terrifying of a thought. Some can handle loosing the sense of touch or smell or even taste, but when it comes to sight or hearing, it is the most terrifying. You lose the greatest gift of the sound of a loved once voice or the privilege of seeing a sunrise in the morning. This film deals with a man that is rapidly loosing his hearing and it was powerful. Many films deal with the different stages of grief from a death or lose, but this one explores those stages in a situation I haven't really seen. Even though the main character is not alone, you feel the isolation and shift in his world as everything comes crashing down around him emotionally. This was truly a haunting and rough story to watch unfold.
Riz Ahmed has always been one of my favorite actors. He gives his all in everything he does and as Rueben, he delivers another outstanding performance. Like I said before, the many stages of grief are all over this film and Riz shows all sides of them. You see him trying to figure out ways of saving his hearing and how helpless it feels to know that there is nothing you can really do. The rage, the bargaining and psychological strain are all on display and it was heartbreaking to watch. Olivia Cooke was equally amazing as his girlfriend Lou. The 2 of them were fantastic together and you see the pain in her eyes as she tries to keep Rueben from falling apart. I loved that they were codependent of each other and you kind of see a form of toxicity in their relationship. There's love there, but more a rebellious, on the road kind of love. They were great together and where their relationship ends up is very interesting. Paul Raci was great and warm as the deaf caretaker Joe. Joe instantly relates with Ruben and begins to guide him to accepting his life without the sense of hearing. He was informative, kind and a needed conscience for Rueben. I loved all their scenes together. The fact that they had casted actual deaf people in the film helped immerse you in their world. Lauren Ridloff was delightful as Diane the deaf teacher. I have been following her career and I've fallen in love with her charismatic approach to each character. She may not have been in this film for long, but she delivers every part of what I just said.
The sound design in the film is where it shines. They didn't follow the same tropes of just a few moments of warped audio or silence, but more in line with the story beats. It drove home the inevitability of the characters lose of hearing and how desperate he got. This film was a cautionary tale of how things could change in a split second and how you can never prepare for it. I loved that we saw the different stages of grief, the fear and acceptance of one's fate. It was a fantastic film with some truly haunting and amazing performances all around. Definitely one of the best dramas of the year. It is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. If you liked the film or my review, let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
