PALM SPRINGS
Watchable. A light, sun-bathed comedy based on a fascinating sci-fi set-up. Starts with college age drunken antics type of humour, some pranks are pretty pathetic, but the tale is perfectly-paced and at some point takes a more serious turn leading to a quantum leap of faith. In spite of a prankster-level plot, you don't get bored for a minute and even start analyzing the pros and cons of living a day on a loop. Light in tone but hardly funny, I only grinned at "I'm your son" scene just before the finale. Still, entertaining it is. The mid-credit ties up one loose end.
SOUND OF METAL
Watchable. My primary impression: "Le chant du loup" ("The Wolf's Call") showed it better, even though it was just a brief moment in the film. This one is admittedly comprehensive, the whole film is devoted to the niche topic of losing your hearing and it's even more niche because the protagonist is a heavy metal band drummer. On the other hand, it makes the story relevant to an audience that's into gigs. So you traipse along the musician hearing, not hearing, mishearing sounds. Riz Ahmed is sloppy in the leading role, his speech is never fully clear, not even at the beginning when he still hears at times, he sounds like a chain smoker at all times, that dryness of his larynx calls for a doctor, not a director. The drama of Ruben and the help group leader getting their wires crossed is engaging as are the practicalities of such a tremendous life change. The sound effects give the story a real feel but in a documentary sense rather than dramatic. Some behaviours of Ruben, Lou or the help group leader, who I'm not sure whether he was a priest or not, are incomprehensible. I'm not sure if it's the script writer, the director or the actors but someone seriously failed in this respect. Hard to identify yourself with people you don't understand.
Both seen online, cinematic reception might differ.
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