Sound of Metal (2020)

 While this film was brilliant, there were also some plot holes and the film felt oddly incomplete.

Ruben Stone (the brilliant Riz Ahmed) and his loving girlfriend, Lou (Olivia Cooke) are also nomads, living in a converted horse trailer as they tour the country with their heavy metal band. Then, quite suddenly, Ruben's hearing deteriorates. 

Naturally, this news devastates him but getting a cochlear implant will cost a whole ton of money, $40,000 minimum. Yikes. Though he's reluctant at first, he eventually settles in to a rehab center for the deaf, run by Vietnam vet, Joe (Paul Raci). And it seems that he seems to be doing okay there, learning sign language and especially doing well with the children. However, on the other hand, he does miss his old life and Lou and who wouldn't? 

Still, I feel that he takes advantage of them, selling every last possession he owns to get the implant surgery, gets kicked out of his place and then struggles to get use to his implants as he didn't do enough research as he can hear again, but everything is so distorted, and he expected his hearing to return when that's not what the implants do.

In the end, he doesn't have a job, and ends things with Lou as he stresses her out. Her plot point doesn't get much attention but she's a scratcher. She apparently scratches her skin raw when she's under stress and now that he's returned, she starts again. Without anything, Ruben has no choice but to embrace the silence, something he refused to do earlier. 

Now, while I don't understand how Ruben was able to gather the money for a plane ticket to Paris when he's homeless, and while he seems to be doing fine with being deaf, he refuses to settle and just wants his old life back when that is impossible, I still found the film excellent, showing the viewer what Ruben's hearing is like, transforming throughout the film. Ahmed's performance is brilliant and Raci and Cooke provide excellent support, I just wish the screenplay had been slighter tighter. That being said, this film shines light on those with addictions and the deaf community, which never gets enough attention. And it forces you to think about what would happen if you found yourself in Ruben's shoes. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-I'm upset that Nyle DiMarco didn't make a cameo appearance. That would have been great.

-We never learn why exactly Ruben's hearing disappears so quickly, whether it's his lifestyle or something hereditary.

-He really should have done more research before selling his house to get the surgery.

-I feel that the others in the rehab facility should have had more fleshed out personalities. 

-No reason is given as to why they had to make Lou's father French.