Riz Ahmed might be one of the hardest-working British actors in the business today. Since breaking out in the mid-’00s, you might have seen him in everything from thought-provoking indies (Shifty, Ill Manors) to top telly (Dead Set, The Night Of, Girls), the biggest of blockbusters (Jason Bourne, Rogue One, Venom) and the talking-point comedy of the past 20 years (Four Lions). Alongside his acting career, Ahmed has revealed another side of himself as a rapper, releasing material solo and as part of Swet Shop Boys (it was his track ‘Post 9/11 Blues’ that caught the attention of Chris Morris).
In his latest film, Sound Of Metal, Ahmed plays Ruben Stone, a drummer in a band with his girlfriend, Lou (Olivia Cooke). Gigging and living out of a tour van, their free, nomadic lifestyle is upended when Ruben suddenly suffers severe hearing loss, and has no choice but to check himself into a home for deaf addicts. There he bonds with an older mentor, Joe (played Paul Raci, a child of deaf adults and sign-language expert). Written and directed by Darius Marder in his feature film debut, Sound Of Metal is particularly notable for its extremely immersive sound design. It’s a profound piece of work, providing Ahmed with one of his best roles yet.
This story is from the Christmas 2020 edition of Total Film.
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This story is from the Christmas 2020 edition of Total Film.
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