Warning: SpoilersOne hour into the movie, I felt this is fine and not going in the direction I expected but exactly from 1HR 17minutes, it changed its course and went bonkers with roller-coaster of emotions till the end by giving beautiful , heart tugging scenes one after other and even made my eyes moist. Doesn’t mean that first hour is bad, it is quite good and held well by the leads through their outstanding performances , just that it is not on par with the third act. Kudos to Sian Heder , she handled the subject with élan and brought the best emotions from the real deaf guys , hats off.
Emilia Jones as Ruby is brilliant, beautiful and incredible throughout. She carried the movie and of course, got amazing support from reel family who did an outstanding job in elevating the movie with their sign act. You eventually become a part of their family, such is the atmosphere and vibe they give through their performances. All the three actors in the movie are real deaf persons and trust me, they make you feel their struggle, plight , emotions just with the signs BRAVO.
Troy Kotsur as Ruby’s dad is natural and phenomenal. There is one scene in the third act, where he asks his daughter to sing for him and place his hand on her neck to feel it is one of the finest and strikingly beautiful scenes ever. Same goes with the scene where Ruby asks her mother ” did you ever wish I was born deaf ? ” and the following scene with sign language and no background music made me feel something which is unexplainable. I give credit to actors for making me go through this, love you guys.
Had it carried the same third act feel in the first hour, overall rating would have been higher. Yet, it deserves 8 for the actors especially real deaf persons act and for Sian’s heartwarming stroke. Couple of issues but forgivable , as it managed to overcome in the final showdown. Do yourself a favor and watch it!!
Review by akellashashank