Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor's epic romance is almost perfect, but it has one problem.

It's already been tipped to dominate this awards season, but Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor's touching romantic epic is so much more than Oscar bait.

Directed by Oliver Hermanus and written by Ben Shattuck, who adapted the screenplay from his own short story, The History of Sound is a sweeping historical queer romance set during the World War I era.

The film stars Mescal as Lionel, a farm boy and talented music student with synaesthesia (the ability to see colours in sound), and O'Connor as David, a fellow Boston Conservatory student from a privileged background. The supporting cast includes Chris Cooper as an older Lionel and Molly Price as his mother.

The plot follows the two men as they journey through the American backwoods to record and preserve traditional folk songs. It's during this journey that their shared passion for music blossoms into a profound, forbidden love that spans decades.

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This is such a unique story that you can't help but be swept up in the romance. Unlike a lot of queer cinema from history, this film largely avoids the typical tropes of trauma and oppression (well, at least for most of the movie).

Instead, it beautifully captures how a brief and powerful relationship can define and shape a person's life.

The cinematography by Alexander Dynan is stunning, almost as if you're watching a painting come to life. Dynan effectively contrasts the cold, harsh landscapes of rural Maine with the heat between these two men.

And oh boy, there is a lot of heat between these two.

The pairing of Mescal and O'Connor together elevates this film. Every scene they share radiates with a longing tenderness through their understated performances.

Image: Universal Pictures.

Even in the scenes where they don't exchange a single word, their connection is superbly conveyed through shared stares and lingering eye contact.

I couldn't pick who is stronger between the two actors. Both Mescal and O'Connor are giving some of the best work they have in their entire careers; I only wish they shared a few more scenes.

Along with the love story at its centre, this film is more about music than anything else. The History of Sound masterfully showcases the niche subject of ethnomusicology with traditional folk songs soundtracking the men's lives, many arranged by Sam Amidon.

The raw, a cappella singing — performed by the actors themselves — adds another dimension to the film, making up some of the most captivating parts of the movie.

That said, this film did have some pacing problems. This movie is slow — like, painfully stretched out at times.

A tale of forbidden romance between two men will no doubt draw comparisons with Brokeback Mountain, but sadly, the pacing prevents The History of Sound from reaching the elite heights of Ang Lee's masterpiece — even if the stories contained within both films are equally gripping.

Image: Universal Pictures.

Given how sluggish the pacing was, I did feel every minute of the running time of over two hours. The first half will have you entranced, as it contains most of the scenes between Mescal and O'Connor, but the second half sees the men separate as Lionel's storyline meanders into often unnecessary sideplots.

A feeling of melancholy permeates throughout this film that does feel a tad tiring, but given the fraught subject matter and tragic circumstances these men find themselves in, this is understandable.

The ending saved it for me. I won't spoil but this quiet and understated movie is salvaged by its biggest emotional punch in the final minutes.

This movie requires a little bit of patience but believe me: the pay-off is big, and A History of Sound will stay with you long after the final song is sung.

Feature image: Universal Pictures.