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      CommentAuthorSouthall
    • CommentTimeOct 4th 2015
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeOct 8th 2015
    I saw BRIDGE OF SPIES yesterday. Great film (despite one or two minor quibbles). Newman's music was fine too. Here's my rambling 'mini-review' that I've also posted elsewhere:

    "Well, I just came back from the film (an early screening for the movie business, and not allowed for the press -- but we know the Fox representative, so he made an exception for me and two of my colleagues).

    Well, it's a GREAT film, first of all. It looks absolutely drop-dead gorgeous from start to finish -- even the talky office sequences are staged in an interesting way. Kudos to Spielberg and Kaminski. And it has some fantastic edits too -- typical of Michael Kahn. It quickly went into my 5th place of all the 120+ 2015 films I've seen so far.

    HOWEVER, I was not quite as enthused as my two colleagues. My main problem was the awkward comedy in a few segments (mostly due to the script by the Coen bros., who I'm no big fan of). Also, it drags a bit in a few scenes, so the whole film feels a bit uneven.

    But these are all minor quibbles! From the very first image, the Spielberg trait is obvious (playing with mirror surfaces much the same way he did in LINCOLN) and throughout the film, there are plenty of "Spielberg faces", backlight, glowing lamps, smooth storytelling etc. But surprisingly restrained, much like MUNICH. It also feels refreshingly "old-fashioned" in a time where every thriller is basically done the same way. It's just incredibly COOL -- both in the slang sense and in the audiovisual sense.

    So Thomas Newman's music.....well, it's absolutely fine. The first bit we hear is for a gorgeous 'night rain' sequence, with those small, AMERICAN BEAUTY-like riff going on. Later, he expands into the brass-led Americana that we know so well from John Williams. So yeah -- you could argue that Newman channels Williams here, but we have to remember that Newman, too, does this sound very well (SHAWSHANK, GREEN MILE, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD etc.). Finally, the music is truly allowed to SHINE in some specific moments, especially towards the end. Oh, and there's some great Russian choral music too that is drowned a bit by sound effects, unfortunately.

    Those are some intital rough thoughts. I'll have to let it sink in more to give a more coherent review."
    I am extremely serious.
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeOct 8th 2015
    Has it got car chases and explosions?
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
  1. I've probably mentioned this before, but they filmed parts of that movie only about a 20-minute bus ride from where I live, at the Glienicker Bruecke between Berlin and Potsdam (which is the bridge referred to by the title of the film). For that reason alone I'd be excited to see it - and it's Spielberg!
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      CommentAuthorBregt
    • CommentTimeOct 8th 2015
    Wow, sounds great, also the musical aspect. Thanks for the review Thor.
    Kazoo
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeOct 8th 2015
    Timmer wrote
    Has it got car chases and explosions?


    Not really. The only real action sequence is when Powers' plane is hit, but that's a good one.
    I am extremely serious.
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeOct 15th 2015
    A wee bit of Newman's new Bond score. Very pleasant I must say.

    SPECTRE
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
  2. Well if you like it, then it should be fantastic. Great follow-up to the Severine theme.
  3. This link offers another cue from Spectre, called "Backfire."

    Sounds like more of the same from Skyfall, which I adored. Nice choral touch in the middle. Can't wait.
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeOct 16th 2015
    Kevin Scarlet wrote
    This link offers another cue from Spectre, called "Backfire."

    Sounds like more of the same from Skyfall, which I adored. Nice choral touch in the middle. Can't wait.


    Oh dear! slant
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
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      CommentAuthorBregt
    • CommentTimeOct 16th 2015
    Two very different tracks. Backfire is very similar to one of Skyfall, a part is almost the same actually.
    Kazoo
  4. I own 15 out of 23 Bond scores, 5 of witch I carry around on my flash player. Skyfall is one of these. So I guess more of that stuff from Newman would be fine with me.
    Bach's music is vibrant and inspired.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeOct 16th 2015
    Bond, schmond....the real Newman highlight of the year is HE NAMED ME MALALA!
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeOct 16th 2015
    But in other Newman news, the BRIDGE OF SPIES album is now out on Spotify! Check it out!
    I am extremely serious.
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeOct 16th 2015 edited
    Thor wrote
    Bond, schmond....the real Newman highlight of the year is HE NAMED ME MALALA!


    yeah

    Malala shimmers with Asian flavoured beauty, I can't wait to return to that one.
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
  5. Thor wrote
    But in other Newman news, the BRIDGE OF SPIES album is now out on Spotify! Check it out!


    Not here yet, sadly.
    http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeOct 16th 2015
    PawelStroinski wrote
    Thor wrote
    But in other Newman news, the BRIDGE OF SPIES album is now out on Spotify! Check it out!


    Not here yet, sadly.


    Really? Whazzap with Poland?
    I am extremely serious.
  6. Thor wrote
    But in other Newman news, the BRIDGE OF SPIES album is now out on Spotify! Check it out!

    How is it? Great? Oscar-worthy?
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeOct 16th 2015
    Kevin Scarlet wrote
    Thor wrote
    But in other Newman news, the BRIDGE OF SPIES album is now out on Spotify! Check it out!

    How is it? Great? Oscar-worthy?


    Hard to say. I'm predicting that the film will get LOADS of nominations, and I wouldn't be surprised if Newman's score was one of them -- even if it a bit uneven, quality-wise (the great parts are, well, great and the more lowkey tracks are a bit run-of-the-mill). But as I said earlier, HE NAMED ME MALALA would be a far more deserving nomination (haven't seen the film yet).
    I am extremely serious.
  7. My review of BRIDGE OF SPIES, for anyone who's interested:

    http://moviemusicuk.us/2015/10/20/bridg … as-newman/

    Jon
  8. I know you had your reasons to get rid of them, but I think you should reinstate the star ratings in your reviews.
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      CommentAuthorSouthall
    • CommentTimeNov 5th 2015
  9. Great review. I agree; the last three tracks are excellent. "Glienicke Bridge" is superb musical storytelling, it's enough to make one wish that Newman would write cues longer then 3 minutes...
  10. My review of SPECTRE, for anyone who's interested:

    http://moviemusicuk.us/2015/11/13/spect … as-newman/

    Jon
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      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeNov 16th 2015
    I'm not sure what film you watched but I wasn't impressed with the score at all. The movie on the otherhand was a typical well made Spielberg effort. I agree with Thor that some of the humor was forced in places, the role of Gary Powers wasn't done as well as it could have been, but Tom Hanks was superb and worth the price of admission. I was 13 when the U2 incident happened, old enough to remember some of the details of the story. I also remember going through the bomb shelter drills, making sure we had extra water, army rations, and planning our escape to a shelter if necessary. But as I watched the film the music played no part in this at all.
    Tom smile
    listen to more classical music!
  11. Need a break from the black friday madness? Thomas Newman's HE NAMED ME MALALA might help!
    www.synchrotones.wordpress.com | www.synchrotones.co.uk | @Synchrotones | facebook | soundcloud | youtube
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      CommentAuthorSouthall
    • CommentTimeDec 13th 2015
  12. Fine review, James, as always, but ...

    ... and [I] think his pair of scores are probably the best the series has had since Barry’s swansong almost thirty years ago.


    Really? REALLY? Better than anything Arnold did? I do like Newman's efforts but I don't agree with that statement.

    smile Volker
    Bach's music is vibrant and inspired.
    • CommentAuthorAnthony
    • CommentTimeDec 13th 2015
    I loved Skyfall but I found SPECTRE to be my least favourite Bond score since GoldenEye.
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      CommentAuthorSouthall
    • CommentTimeDec 13th 2015
    Captain Future wrote
    Fine review, James, as always, but ...

    ... and [I] think his pair of scores are probably the best the series has had since Barry’s swansong almost thirty years ago.


    Really? REALLY? Better than anything Arnold did? I do like Newman's efforts but I don't agree with that statement.

    smile Volker


    I don't intend any slight towards Arnold. I enjoy his Bond scores, particularly the last two. I just like Newman's a bit more. smile