Sound of Metal

Taking the auditory experience of film to a brand new and original level, Riz Ahmed signs an immensely authentic performance as a drummer locked from sound without warning. The film builds around the way he learns to come to terms with the challenges his disability presents, through the discovery of who he really is as life, meaning and purpose graft perspective to his being. With a great supporting cast, this is a landmark piece of cinema to be savoured.

Riz Ahmed is one of those actors, you simply cannot take your eyes off. It's not solely because of his good looks. He's always intense and, most importantly, he always makes you care about the characters he's portraying. In this case, he portrays a rock drummer who is losing his hearing.

As with most of his roles, he more than did his homework. Ahmed moved to Brooklyn for a few months and learned to play drums, he also spent a lot time with people from the deaf community. He showed the same dedication for his Naz Khan role in 'The Night Of', he immersed himself in the character's background. Expect no less from this actor.

Having two partially deaf relatives, I could relate to this film. Especially one relative who refused to learn sign language, they would rather read lips. Thinking of my relatives initially denying their hearing loss, this film really hit home.

Why are people bringing up Riz being Pakistani? With every role, will he continue to be defined by his background? His character was named Ruben, it's assumed his character was Hispanic. Riz can play other nationalities and ethnic groups beyond his own South Asian background. He can certainly pass for Hispanic, especially in this film. When considering Riz for a role, directors and producers should think outside the box.

The ending was extremely effective, but not a surprise at all.

Another excellent performance from Riz Ahmed. A few more films like this and he will finally have earned his Oscar.

Masterpiece! I was expecting a movie like Whiplash but this one is far better. Whiplash is a story of "If you work hard, you succeed." This one is "If you work hard, you succeed, then one day you can lose everything in a second, and if you work harder, you can realize that "everything" is actually nothing." A tribute to stillness...

While I think Riz Ahmed gave award-worthy performance in this film, the implant misinformation lowered my rating. Getting implants is not a quick process and a good audiologist would never tell a patient you're just going to have to get used to it. It takes multiple visits before and after surgery. That being said, I really enjoyed the scenes with the deaf community and him working with the children. I would give the acting 10/10. It has a great cast.

I also want to point out that there's absolutely nothing wrong with a person with hearing loss getting implants if they choose to and they shouldn't be shamed for it. But, it's also okay if you don't want implants, nobody should make you feel bad about either choice.

Confession: I'm a total sucker for recovery stories - maybe it is the former social worker in me. Now, some people might suggest this movie's about music or the deaf community, but I honesty believe it is about saving (and accepting) ourselves. It is about the addictions that define us, whether we're embracing or surrendering them...and the people that help heal us along the way. In other words, it IS a recovery story. And it is also flawlessly done. The performances are intimate, the sounds/silences keep drawing you in, and the moments of stillness are absolutely breathtaking. Marder's crafted something that feels so personal and authentic, an invitation into these characters' lives and experiences. When the credits rolled, I just sat there taking it in.