The Oscar for Best Sound Should Go To...

Academy Awards season is looking rather different this year, but even with the ceremony delayed and most theaters that would be showing the major contenders closed, word of the award darlings is still trickling out. One movie I've been hearing buzz about -- particularly in the category of Best Actor -- is Sound of Metal. I recently popped open Amazon Prime to stream it for myself.

Sound of Metal is the story of Ruben, the drummer in a black metal duo, whose life is completely upended when extreme hearing loss from his constant close quarter gigs leaves him practically deaf. Concerned that he'll slip back into drug addiction, his girlfriend and music partner Lou helps him connect with an addict recovery group for the deaf. But Ruben isn't ready to face the reality of what his new life will be.

Riz Ahmed stars as Ruben, and it is increasingly suggested that he'll receive his first Oscar nomination for the role. It's certainly an "award catnip" kind of role, for which he learned to drum and learned sign language, and he gives a raw and exposed performance. He is indeed very good, even if I am perhaps making a little fun of the sheer "engineered for critics" quality of it all.

Though as good as Ahmed is (and he is), I would say that the real strength of the movie is its sound design. Large chunks of this movie are crafted to put us in Ruben's place, and the incredibly thoughtful work of the sound team does so brilliantly. This isn't "every action blockbuster ever" -- you know, with the moment where all other sound drops to an underwater murmur as a high-pitched whine shreds the speakers. This is a prolonged soundscape deployed in multiple environments that feels so authentic that it actually makes the movie physically uncomfortable to watch at times.

There are some notable supporting performances in the film too, particularly by Paul Raci in the role of the support group leader. Though he is a hearing actor, he was raised by two deaf parents, and brings a great authenticity to his performance.

While the film does include many impactful moments, it's also opens at a rather languid pace (despite featuring almost all of the snippets of metal music you might expect right up front in the movie). And it heads toward a fairly predictable destination. It's not an inappropriate or unwelcome one, but this is definitely one of those cases where the journey is more important.

I would recommend the movie on the whole, though. For the many strong moments along the way, I'd give Sound of Metal a B+, and it does make my Top 2020 Movies list. It's probably not essential Oscar viewing (as the film itself may not be a Best Picture nominee, and Riz Ahmed is all but guaranteed to lose Best Actor to Chadwick Boseman). Still, it's a movie I think many would enjoy more than typical Oscar fare.