The acting is amazing, Riz Ahmed simply destroys here, and Olivia Cooke is very very good too, in limited time she is on screen.
But probably the main point I have to highlight about the movie is the sound mixing/design... like, this might be the first time I see a movie and go "holy cow the sound design is amazing". The way it helps the movie explore the struggle of hearing lost so well is unbelievable, you feel Ruben's pain, you understand what he's going through, and you want him to get better, but fist and foremost, you feel scare for him, thinking how hard that would be. Also, of course, you appreciate and respect the hell of the deaf community for fighting and prospering beautifully through all this difficulty.
I love how the movie shows his evolution throughout, and also, the subtitles, where they only appear after Ruben learns sign language, so for half of the movie, those who don't understand sign language just have no idea what they are saying, like Ruben doesn't too. And the ending shows that evolution of the character perfectly, after trying to again, go back to something he already lost entirely, he just accepts life for what it is... and the result is a calm and beautiful world around him. So, the ending scene is great
All that been said, I don't think the movie is perfect, I have a couple of problems with the story arc overall... like, the hearing implant, wouldn't anyone tell him beforehand the thing wasn't the same as the regular hearing? That's such a crucial point in the story, and the impact we as the audience feel, when we hear what he's hearing... but, in a real-life situation, how likely would it be, that the dude would spend 40k+ and... nobody would tell him that it wouldn't sound like his "regular hearing" sounded? I mean, c'mon.
I also didn't understand what exactly did Lou's video made him think... cause it's once again, a big turning point in the story arc, he's fine, he's happy for the first time in a while, and then he sees the video... and wants to sell his stuff. At first, I thought Lou was like homeless or something, doing gigs in the street to pay the bills or something... but she's clearly not, and he knew that. So... what's the deal with the video? Did he just missed playing with her? Idk.
Still, the movie is pretty, it's really immersive, and it gets you through this difficult and long journey alongside Ruben, which is amazing to see and experience.
But probably the main point I have to highlight about the movie is the sound mixing/design... like, this might be the first time I see a movie and go "holy cow the sound design is amazing". The way it helps the movie explore the struggle of hearing lost so well is unbelievable, you feel Ruben's pain, you understand what he's going through, and you want him to get better, but fist and foremost, you feel scare for him, thinking how hard that would be. Also, of course, you appreciate and respect the hell of the deaf community for fighting and prospering beautifully through all this difficulty.
I love how the movie shows his evolution throughout, and also, the subtitles, where they only appear after Ruben learns sign language, so for half of the movie, those who don't understand sign language just have no idea what they are saying, like Ruben doesn't too. And the ending shows that evolution of the character perfectly, after trying to again, go back to something he already lost entirely, he just accepts life for what it is... and the result is a calm and beautiful world around him. So, the ending scene is great
All that been said, I don't think the movie is perfect, I have a couple of problems with the story arc overall... like, the hearing implant, wouldn't anyone tell him beforehand the thing wasn't the same as the regular hearing? That's such a crucial point in the story, and the impact we as the audience feel, when we hear what he's hearing... but, in a real-life situation, how likely would it be, that the dude would spend 40k+ and... nobody would tell him that it wouldn't sound like his "regular hearing" sounded? I mean, c'mon.
I also didn't understand what exactly did Lou's video made him think... cause it's once again, a big turning point in the story arc, he's fine, he's happy for the first time in a while, and then he sees the video... and wants to sell his stuff. At first, I thought Lou was like homeless or something, doing gigs in the street to pay the bills or something... but she's clearly not, and he knew that. So... what's the deal with the video? Did he just missed playing with her? Idk.
Still, the movie is pretty, it's really immersive, and it gets you through this difficult and long journey alongside Ruben, which is amazing to see and experience.