In an amazing aural, experiential performance, Riz Ahmed plays Ruben Stone, a punk-metal drummer who first realizes he’s losing his hearing as he’s setting up his merchandise table before a gig with his bandmate/girlfriend Louise (Olivia Cooke). He’s momentarily confused by a high-pitched ringing in his ears and the muffling of voices. A recovering heroin addict, Ruben is steered to a secluded sober house for the deaf run by Joe (Paul Raci), a Vietnam veteran who has found serenity in silence. “Being deaf is not a handicap, not something to fix,” Joe tells him, dismissing Ruben’s desire to raise the money for expensive bilateral cochlear implants. Instead, Ruben is encouraged to learn American Sign Language (ASL). Scripted by Abraham Marder and co-written by his brother, director Darius Marder, it superficially delves into the ideological and cultural divide between those, like Joe, who view deafness not as a disability but as an integral part of his identity, and others who view it as a condition that’s correctable with cochlear implants.
Riz Ahmed’s portrayal was enhanced by earpieces that blocked the sound of his own voice, causing loss of balance and directionality, utilizing an audioscape created by sound designer Nicolas Becker. The son of deaf parents, Paul Raci is gratified that he could impart authenticity to the part: “In the past, Hollywood cast Jane Wyman in Johnny Belinda, Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker and Julianne Moore in Wonderstruck. Deaf people want to see themselves on-screen. It’s gratifying on so many levels.” Notable exceptions include Marlee Matlin in Children of a Lesser God and Millicent Simmonds in A Quiet Place. Recommended.