Crossing Over
Mark Isham
" Crossing Over is not Crash, don't you forget that "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Crossing Over is a 2009 drama about illegal immigrants of different nationalities struggling to achieve legal status in Los Angeles. The film deals with the border, document fraud, the asylum and green card process, work-site enforcement, naturalization, the office of counter terrorism and the clash of cultures. Showing no rest for the wicked, Mark Isham closes the deal with yet another score from him.
Of course this is not a movie you can expect a glorious score from. But this is also a case where a composer needs to work so much on such little time you receive sometimes effective dribble. It will work all right but the enthusiasm and passion is sometimes not on board. This is sad considering Mark Isham wrote one of his most ingenious pieces during a somewhat similar drama movie. But whereas Crash was a hit on all levels, Crossing Over is more a score that pleases during the listen, but will not sting long after it.
There's a lovely guitar sound around "Crossing Over", "Drive to Mexico", "Juan Sanches", "ICE Raid" and "You Look Like you Need a Friend". But this also becomes somewhat tiresome after a while. There's a solo vocal alongside an unnerving effect in "A Dinnertime Visit" and a piano during "Claire Confesses". But you can lose yourself in those pieces, because they are not exactly fresh anymore.
The light violin is a nice touch, but "Funeral" by then crossed the same waters. This moody quest has begun to show the same tools of atmosphere and mood. It is on edge but boring during "Liquor Store" and "Naturalization". And the moody percussive ending of "Tomorrow was Supposed to be a Special Day" doesn't sting enough. Luckily the lovely attentive piano and strings during "We Will Travel Together, Daughter" brings us Crash grandeur, while the cello and vocal effects do unleash some colour during "Departures and Beginnings". The percussive build up in "Max Gets Word / End Titles" does work as well.
You see, as a standalone, every track works. Put them together and not everything comes over equally inspiring. And then the listen of Crossing Over doesn't invite you that much for a secondary spin. Again effective is the one and only word for a composer when he has to write something for a film. But considering the inspiring Crash, we wanted more of Isham instead. Crossing Over is an effective listen with a couple of very nice tracks, but not everything is stuff you want to listen to again and again, especially if you can listen to a better one, of him instead.
Tracklisting
1. Crossing Over (2.47)
2. Drive to Mexico (1.37)
3. Juan Sanches (1.50)
4. A Dinnertime Visit (2.26)
5. Claire Confesses (2.23)
6. ICE Raid (1.41)
7. You Look Like you Need a Friend (2.07)
8. Funeral (1.39)
9. We Will Travel Together, Daughter (2.10)
10. Liquor Store (3.05)
11. Tomorrow was Supposed to be a Special Day (2.36)
12. Naturalization (5.43)
13. Mireya (2.23)
14. Departures and Beginnings (3.23)
15. Max Gets Word / End Titles (5.05)
Total Length: 41.05
Of course this is not a movie you can expect a glorious score from. But this is also a case where a composer needs to work so much on such little time you receive sometimes effective dribble. It will work all right but the enthusiasm and passion is sometimes not on board. This is sad considering Mark Isham wrote one of his most ingenious pieces during a somewhat similar drama movie. But whereas Crash was a hit on all levels, Crossing Over is more a score that pleases during the listen, but will not sting long after it.
There's a lovely guitar sound around "Crossing Over", "Drive to Mexico", "Juan Sanches", "ICE Raid" and "You Look Like you Need a Friend". But this also becomes somewhat tiresome after a while. There's a solo vocal alongside an unnerving effect in "A Dinnertime Visit" and a piano during "Claire Confesses". But you can lose yourself in those pieces, because they are not exactly fresh anymore.
The light violin is a nice touch, but "Funeral" by then crossed the same waters. This moody quest has begun to show the same tools of atmosphere and mood. It is on edge but boring during "Liquor Store" and "Naturalization". And the moody percussive ending of "Tomorrow was Supposed to be a Special Day" doesn't sting enough. Luckily the lovely attentive piano and strings during "We Will Travel Together, Daughter" brings us Crash grandeur, while the cello and vocal effects do unleash some colour during "Departures and Beginnings". The percussive build up in "Max Gets Word / End Titles" does work as well.
You see, as a standalone, every track works. Put them together and not everything comes over equally inspiring. And then the listen of Crossing Over doesn't invite you that much for a secondary spin. Again effective is the one and only word for a composer when he has to write something for a film. But considering the inspiring Crash, we wanted more of Isham instead. Crossing Over is an effective listen with a couple of very nice tracks, but not everything is stuff you want to listen to again and again, especially if you can listen to a better one, of him instead.
Tracklisting
1. Crossing Over (2.47)
2. Drive to Mexico (1.37)
3. Juan Sanches (1.50)
4. A Dinnertime Visit (2.26)
5. Claire Confesses (2.23)
6. ICE Raid (1.41)
7. You Look Like you Need a Friend (2.07)
8. Funeral (1.39)
9. We Will Travel Together, Daughter (2.10)
10. Liquor Store (3.05)
11. Tomorrow was Supposed to be a Special Day (2.36)
12. Naturalization (5.43)
13. Mireya (2.23)
14. Departures and Beginnings (3.23)
15. Max Gets Word / End Titles (5.05)
Total Length: 41.05