"Sound of Metal" really surprised me.

I thought it was going to be a movie about a rock musician's struggle with suddenly losing his hearing. And that is the specific situation that sets the movie's plot in motion. But this movie is less about learning to live with deafness and more about learning to live with life in general, making peace with things as they change instead of trying to "fix" them so you can get back to where you were. That makes "Sound of Metal" one of the most relevant pandemic movies I've yet seen.

Riz Ahmed is terrific in the main role, and he's wonderfully supported by Paul Raci, as leader of a deaf commune and support group, and by Olivia Wilde, as his girlfriend. One of the film's most devastating scenes is one toward the end where the couple decide to end their relationship, not because they've necessarily fallen out of love, but because the relationship itself is tying them both to a past they need to move on from.

"Sound of Metal" brought home to me how much of our lives is spent absorbing noise. And that's noise of every kind -- emotional and mental as well as aural. The constant grind of news and social media and stupid politicians and advertising and capitalism clamors for our attention and keeps us distracted from things that really matter. How nice it would be if we, like Ahmed's character in the film's final scene, could just turn it off and sit in silence.

"Sound of Metal" won the 2020 Oscars for Film Editing and Sound (richly deserved; the sound design for huge parts of the movie puts the audience in the position of hearing the world as experienced by a person with hearing loss). It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (Ahmed),Best Supporting Actor (Raci),and Best Original Screenplay.

Grade: A.

Heavy metal drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) and his singer girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) are driving their RV across America on a concert tour. Out of the blue, he loses a large portion of his hearing. It is the start of a life altering journey.

I'm watching this for Riz Ahmed and I'm not disappointed. It's a troubled character and a masterful performance. At times, he's quite frustrating but he is never boring. Even the silence of the deaf community cannot silence his personality. The movie is a little long. If it could squeeze down closer to ninety minutes, the movie could elevate its intensity. Nevertheless, it's a great character study and a great showcase for Ahmed.

Sound of Metal starts with rock/metal duo Blackgammon at a concert.

No wonder with all that noise passing for music, drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) loses most of his hearing.

Music being Ruben's livelihood. Going deaf is catastrophic not only for him but singer and his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke.)

They have been together for four years and both have help each other to work through their personal issues.

Ruben is a recovering heroin addict. Lou used to cut herself due to past trauma.

This setback could push Ruben back to his addiction issues. Cochlear implants may be beneficial but it is not covered by his medical insurance.

Possible help comes in the form of a rural retreat for deaf recovering addicts. It is run by Joe (Paul Raci) who lost his hearing in the Vietnam War and became an alcoholic.

It means he has to leave Lou behind and lose touch with the outside world. Soon Ruben learns sign language but he wants his old life back.

Director Darius Marder serves away from the easy options these kind of dramas take. The film is really a character study about Ruben. You expect that somehow either Ruben or Lou will have a serious relapse.

Riz Ahmed gives a mesmerizing performance by utilising his skills of minimal acting. There is a lot of stillness and portraying mood with his eyes.

The film does lose touch with Lou and that diminishes the movie when she is not around.

The retreat was a strange place. There is a nearby school where Ruben goes to spend time with the children. He learns sign language and he teaches the kids how to drum. I just kept wondering whether all these recovering addicts have been vetted by the police?

What was the deal about the people in the retreat not being able to contact loved ones? Ruben and Lou are interdependent on each other and as Ruben mentions, she would have nowhere to go. It turns out that Lou has somewhere to go, but it is thousands of miles away.

I did have issues as to why Joe thought Ruben wanting implants was a bad thing. He is trying to mitigate his disability. It is like saying that a man who has lost a part of his arm should get used to the loss of his limb and not get a prosthetic.

The film has a coda set in France. Ruben realises that his old life of touring with Lou has gone. Lou starts to become anxious and itch her old wounds when he mentions touring again.

The film is left open ended. Ruben realises that he might have to get used to his new silent world.