Films in 2011: the big preview

He definitely has an ear. It's the tongue that fails him, I think. (His words, not mine, and perhaps his modesty, but it does make sense looking at his films.)

The collaboration between him and Umebayashi isn't actually that long-lasting. The theme from IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE was edited into the film. Umebayashi wrote it for another film, called YUMEJI (hence 'Yumeji's Theme'). Michael Galasso wrote quite a bit for MOOD, but only one track was used, the 'Angkor Wat Theme'. The rest was replaced with the theme from YUMEJI. (You might called it an arty 'temp track'.)

2046 is the only film of Wong's with an original Umebayashi score, and that's interesting too, because it wasn't scored to picture. I think 6 themes were written (maybe more that we haven't heard) based on the emotions, and then the film was edited to these. Original music was also sourced from Peer Raben for that film, along with previous music by Raben, Secret Garden, Xavier Cugat and a few other needledrops.

The theme in MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS that is credited to Umebayashi is another version of Yumeji's theme, performed by two new artists, and not involving the Japanese composer. There is a sort of score by Ry Cooder in the film, along with needledrops from Santaolalla, Cat Power and Norah Jones.