‘Sound of Metal’ is about Honor and Acceptance
It covers a shocking number of topics with intentionality and care.
I have to be honest. I did not want to watch this movie. Of all the Oscar-nominated films that we’re watching and reviewing on The Strategic Whimsy Experiment, this is the one that I was dreading.
I have many interests, two of them being music and American Sign Language. There was a point in time when I was planning on double-degreeing in both of these subjects.
For years, I spent time learning ASL and being part of the Deaf community. It’s a beautiful language and a wonderful community of people that have impacted my life in significant ways.
Because I love both music and the Deaf community, I was very nervous about this film. I didn’t know that it would be able to handle these things I find so precious in an honoring and satisfying way. But it did that and so much more.
Thanks for reading my disclaimer, let’s get on to my review.
Sound of Metal follows Ruben (Riz Ahmed), a heavy-metal drummer who suddenly loses his hearing and has to grapple with a new way of living.
The film is beautifully made, especially its use of sound. There is one moment when we see and clearly hear a piano being played. The camera continues to pan over revealing a group…
