Riz Ahmed makes the Sound of Metal real

I had wanted to write about this movie after I first watched it on Amazon Prime a few months ago because quite honestly, it was better than I expected. I was looking for new movies about rock music or rock musicians and then I found this. I thought it was going to be a typical behind-the-scenes look at the life of a rockstar, a drummer to be exact. Riz Ahmed plays Ruben, a drummer for a punk metal band.

I figured this role of a drummer ought to be an interesting role for him. He was easy to hate in Venom where he played very stubborn and sinister Carlton Drake / Riot. Then, I also remember feeling quite sorry for him as the successful tech giant Aaron Kalloor who gets blackmailed in Jason Bourne. (Sorry if that's a spoiler for you but that movie's been out for years!!!)

In the Sound of Metal, Riz Ahmed portrays the role so impressively that he's up for a Golden Globe Award for it this weekend. There's a great interview with him on Esquire magazine. Check it out if you can. Watch the movie, too. You'll follow his character's sudden onset of deafness and his unwillingness to accept it. You follow him as he enters a shelter for the deaf and get to experience (not just see) the emotions that go into living in a world with no sound. There's a struggle to feel "normal" again...and the reality of whether or not it can actually be achieved.

I think the director, Darius Marder, also did a great job with this movie. From writing the story to directing it, he captured the elements that really moves the viewer. His directing technique allows you to feel like you're there with Ruben (Riz). Of course, it's watching Riz Ahmed play the role so well, too, that makes the Sound of Metal real. Here's the trailer, if you haven't seen it yet.