Sound of Metal – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Sound of Metal – Musical Solace: Life is a Melody

Through the lens of life, there are uncertainties to the journey.  In that finite grip, the tantalizing aspect of our story is what happens at the crossroads of the unknown.  When faced with hardships, what comes out becomes what is trite and true.  In this review, I look at a film that shows the present of change.  When faced with a new path, one man must realize the truth of what is before him.  A personal story with endearment, Sound of Metal presses the musical trail within the silence of hope.

Ruben (Riz Ahmed) is a drummer that loves to play music.  Faced with a dire situation, he must decide what is his best path forward.  In the beginning, we are introduced to the main character.  Ruben is a drummer in a metal band with his girlfriend, Lou (Olivia Cooke).  They travel across the country, creating music, playing shows and just plainly, living in the moment.  After a particular night, Ruben begins to have trouble hearing sounds.  After contacting a doctor, he learns he has degenerative hearing loss.  This creates a precarious situation for Ruben and Lou.  After putting many years into playing/creating music, how will he find the will to survive without it?  From this point, the film moves from general introduction of character/plot and becomes a personal story of life’s unknown.  Ruben has faced many obstacles, but this becomes one of the hardest to fathom.  The aspect of becoming deaf brings a new look to his life, as they try to reassess their next steps forward.  The simplistic use of ‘living’ through his shoes is created through sound design, allowing the audience to feel the pressure of an unchanging circumstance.  Through bouts of angst, acceptance and depression, the emotional fervor drives them to make tough choices.  Ruben decides that to get a grip on his hearing loss, he moves in with a small deaf community, led by Vietnam Vet, Joe (Paul Raci).  Through a series of conversational moments, the humanistic interactions create a window of a mirrored perspective of what is genuine to life.  Ruben begins to redefine what is expected, lifting the veil of the importance of music in his life.  His passion evolves, as the dynamic of lost becomes a professed path of fragile hope. 

As Ruben continues down a path of understanding, he still wrestles with trying to fix the inevitable.  Taking certain risk, this leads to unfortune consequences.  Ruben believes in certain things, becoming blinded with choices that have lasting impacts.  At a new crossroads, he is faced with conversations that break his persona through unexpected growth.  This leads into a final act that showcases poignant conversations that look at things that cannot be undone.  This leads to an understanding of solace (in the climax), leaving the audience with a sense of acceptance becomes anew.  Sound of Metal is a personal story that is strong with truths of the unknown.  With strong acting and a lens upon the importance of acceptance, this is a true story of endearment.  This is available of Amazon Prime, but it would be worth seeing at the theaters.  

Full Score – 4 out of 5 (Full Price)

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