"The History of Sound" Hits Highs and Lows

by Eurocheese

Josh O'Connor and Paul Mescal in THE HISTORY OF SOUND

Memories, like music, can take on new meaning as we sit with them over time. The History of Sound opens on beautiful, panoramic shots with hints of possibility or even romance as we follow Paul Mescal’s Lionel, a lonely young man from the sticks who is eager to experience life. He heads off to college and meets Josh O’Connor as David, brimming with charm and curiosity, who spends his nights commanding rooms with his enthusiastic piano playing. Soon the love of music between the two (brought together by Lionel singing niche folk songs) spills into a relationship. It’s easy to be drawn in by the appeal of these actors, but something about this unspoken relationship feels a bit too easy. When Lionel heads home and eventually receives an invitation to join David on a trip researching music, it feels like he is walking out of his mundane life and into a dream...

The film is set in the 1920s, and the hurdles for a gay couple pursuing their bliss are obvious. Even so, this film struggles to get out from under its own shadow. The two protagonists trek from one remote area to another learning harrowing stories from the edges of society, but it becomes clear that collecting the tales of others is not a substitute for building a foundation for their own story. The metaphor of finding a voice for others is heavy, and while it’s clear these two are enjoying their time spent together, apprehension about moving forward continues to loom over them.

Heading further into the plot would lead to spoilers, but the film mostly follows Mescal’s Lionel so we have less clarity on the perspective of O’Connor’s David. The story spends too much time following subplots before returning to the central plotline, which robs it of tension. Ultimately the final act doesn’t hit with the emotion promised by the initial spark.

That being said, two of our finest actors give committed performances that at times stand above the material, and there are deft touches that keep the audience invested in their dynamic. (Unsurprisingly, Oscar winner Chris Cooper does solid work in his section as well.) There are certainly ideas here to chew on, but some of them don’t translate well to the screen. Editing down to a shorter running time would have have helped.

Memories are never quite what we recall – our perception will always taint our experiences, flashing us images of the way we remember feeling rather than a somber account of the facts. Music can capture authenticity, but our stories and ideas will always impact the way we hear it. In the same way, perhaps love and the way we receive it can only be matched to time, place and circumstance. B-

The History of Sound opens in US theaters this Friday, September 12th.

Comments

[Mr Ripley79]

I am more excited for this due to the wonderful Chris Cooper than for the 2 two leads.

[McGill]

I love Chris Cooper too. I was so happy when he won a much deserved Oscar. (Especially since they’d been shilling the two “stars” of that movie).

Paul Mescal I’ve always liked. I like that whatever situation his characters are in, they still seem like just regular people, dealing with what they’ve got.

And I’m coming around to Josh O’Connor, whose kind of laid back rapscallion schtick I was really bored with. But I saw Wake Up Dead Man yesterday (Daniel Craig, Knives Out 3) and O’Connor was great. Now I have some respect for him.

Hamnet (with Mescal and Jessie Buckley) and Wake Up Dead Man are both hot hot tickets here at TIFF. They’ve added an extra showing of Hamnet due to demand. And Wake Up Dead Man was always in the hugest theatres (the 1910 movie palace, the prestige concert hall, etc.)