Sound of Metal
Sound of Metal is a 2019 American drama film directed by Darius Marder and starring Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, and Mathieu Amalric. It tells the story of a drummer who begins to lose his hearing.
Sound of Metal | |
---|---|
Directed by | Darius Marder |
Produced by |
|
Screenplay by |
|
Story by | Derek Cianfrance |
Starring | |
Music by |
|
Cinematography | Daniël Bouqet |
Edited by | Mikkel E.G. Nielsen |
Production company |
|
Distributed by | Amazon Studios |
Release date |
|
Running time | 130 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The film had its world premiere in the Platform Prize program at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2019.
Plot
Ruben is a drummer and one half of the duo Blackgammon along with his singer girlfriend Lou. A former drug addict, he is sober for four years. Suddenly, he begins to lose his hearing. His sponsor makes him go meet Joe, who leads a deaf community. With the help from them, Ruben struggles to accept his situation.
Cast
- Riz Ahmed as Ruben Stone
- Olivia Cooke as Lou
- Paul Raci as Joe
- Lauren Ridloff as Diane
- Mathieu Amalric as Richard Berger
Production
In January 2016, it was announced Dakota Johnson and Matthias Schoenaerts had joined the cast of the film, with Darius Marder directing.[2] In July 2018, it was announced Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke had joined the cast of the film, replacing Johnson and Schoenarts, alongside Mathieu Amalric.[3] A large number of the cast were hired from the deaf community.[4] Before filming, Ahmed took six months of drum lessons.[5] For the film, he also learned American Sign Language.[5] The film was shot in four weeks.[4]
Release
Sound of Metal had its world premiere in the Platform Prize program at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2019.[6] It also screened at the Zurich Film Festival[7] and the International Film Festival Rotterdam.[8] Amazon Studios acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film the week following its premiere.[9] It was originally scheduled to be released on August 14, 2020.[10]
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 23 reviews, with a weighted average of 8.18/10.[11] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 87 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[12]
John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Without romanticizing deafness, Sound of Metal makes a case for acceptance and for embracing the inevitability of unpredictable change."[13] David Fear of Rolling Stone praised Riz Ahmed's performance, commenting that "this film probably works best as a showcase for its star."[14] Norman Wilner of Now wrote, "The assaultive, near-experimental sound design goes a long way towards putting us in Ruben's head, but Ahmed's performance makes us understand his character with a clarity that eludes Ruben himself."[15] Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave the film a grade of A−, writing, "Ahmed's so believable that he keeps the suspense of the drama in play even as it pushes into contrived circumstances during the prolonged final act, and eventually takes a melodramatic plunge."[16]
Awards
The film won the Golden Eye for Best Film in the International Feature Film Competition category at the 15th Zurich Film Festival.[17][18]
References
- "Sound of Metal". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on August 8, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
- Fleming Jr, Mike (January 22, 2016). "Dakota Johnson & Matthias Schoenaerts Team For 'The Sound Of Metal'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- Kroll, Justin (July 20, 2018). "Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke to Star in Music Drama 'Sound of Metal'". Variety. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- Clement, Nick (September 7, 2019). "Marder's Riz Ahmed-Starring 'Sound of Metal' Explores Deaf Identity". Variety. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- Blyth, Antonia (September 5, 2019). "In The "Profound & Universal" 'Sound Of Metal' Riz Ahmed Is A Drummer Facing Hearing Loss – Toronto". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- Cohn, Eric (August 7, 2019). "Julie Delpy Made a Genetic Thriller and Riz Ahmed Is a Heavy Metal Drummer: TIFF Platform Highlights". IndieWire. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- "Sound of Metal". Zurich Film Festival. Archived from the original on September 22, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- "Sound of Metal". International Film Festival Rotterdam. Archived from the original on February 1, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- Lang, Brent; Donnelly, Matt (September 12, 2019). "Toronto: Amazon Nabs 'Sound of Metal' With Riz Ahmed". Variety. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- "Sound of Metal". The Numbers. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- "Sound of Metal (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- "Sound of Metal". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- DeFore, John (September 8, 2019). "'Sound of Metal': Film Review | TIFF 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- Fear, David (September 7, 2019). "Toronto 2019: 'Sound of Metal' Gives Riz Ahmed a Perfect Showcase". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- Wilner, Norman (September 11, 2019). "TIFF review: Sound Of Metal". Now. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- Kohn, Eric (September 7, 2019). "'Sound of Metal' Review: Riz Ahmed Is Brilliant as a Heavy Metal Drummer Who Goes Deaf". IndieWire. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- "The Awards of the 15th Zurich Film Festival". Zurich Film Festival. October 5, 2019. Archived from the original on October 28, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- Don, Muriel Del (October 7, 2019). "Record audience numbers for the Zurich Film Festival". Cineuropa. Retrieved October 28, 2019.