After its premiere in Toronto in 2019, Sound Of Metal had to wait for a wider release. But, after a series of delays, it arrives on the small screen in April, with the promise of being one of the first new films in cinemas when they re-open on 17 May. Worth waiting for – on both fronts.
The story of a punk metal drummer whose life is dramatically – and permanently – changed by hearing loss has scooped numerous award nominations – four from BAFTA and six from the American Academy. It stars Riz Ahmed in the role of a lifetime as the drummer at the centre of the story, with Olivia Cooke as the girlfriend who tries to help him through his experience. It’s also the first feature film from director Darius Marder, who previous credits include the screenplay for The Place Beyond The Pines.
And, as he explains in the interview below, it was the director of that film, Derek Cianfrance, who was the starting point for Sound Of Metal eventually being made. He discusses why it took the best part of five years to cast the film and why that process involved “scaring the hell out of actors.” He also reflects on discovering another important member of the cast, Paul Raci, and the similarities between him and his character in the story. And he recalls the reaction the film received from its very first audience – a group of deaf people in Brooklyn.
We also spoke (below) to Olivia Cooke, who plays Lou, and she recalls how she was affected by the script when she first read it and the reasons behind her character’s distinctive blonde eyebrows. But, although she had to learn to sing and play the guitar for her early scenes, her efforts at sign language weren’t so successful. She admits learning languages isn’t her strong point – except when it comes to swear words!
Sound of Metal is available on Amazon Prime Video from April 12th and released in cinemas from May 17th.
