Identity
Alan Silvestri
" Identity doesn't beat around the bush, DOC! "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
At first Identity seemed like the typical run of the mill thriller, with a serial killer killing off people one at a time. However, things couldn't be further from the truth. Identity was in fact so much cleverer. The cast, the mystery and the entire Shyamalan twist made it a rollercoaster ride, one that was highly successful with fans and critics. For the music good old Alan Silvestri was brought in, delivering a score that did have that typical run of the mill vibe to it.
Don't get me wrong. The score sounds great in the film, but on disc you tend to forget it's actually there. That you were actually there. The opening "Prologue" with the mysterious theme on hobo and flute is catchy, and puts you immediately in this calm state of mind, one that quickly changes to a more oppressive tone. The moody "What Have you Done?", the hypnotizing work of an electric guitar and a percussive thump in "Settling In", the atonal attacks with the eerie underscore in "Lou is Dead" or the eerie emotional "Suicide Jumper", you get the stuff like you were expecting it. Highly effective but also quite ordinary.
Because the strings continue to support the eerie, the mystery, the attacks (the screeching violins in "May 10th" and "Rhode's Secret". The occasional musical noises continue to create disbelief ("Bodies Dissapear", the heartbeat in "May 10th"). And the finale delivers the climax in typical unsettling fashion ("Showdown"). And then we haven't reached the real end yet. The brief emotional theme of track 6 returns as a sort of love theme for Amanda Peet and John Cusack's character in "Orange Grove", followed by the main theme of track 1. This is immediately followed by the shocking climax in "No Second Chance", delivering a bunch of musical atonal sfx that totally enhances the experience in the film.
The final track sumps it up the best though. A brief dialogue sequence from the film, the heartbeat sound effect, the love theme and the hypnotizing work of that electric guitar with again a brief dialogue sequence. Making Identity in fact quite the effective little helper. But one that helps out the best in the film, and not on CD. Because the musical sfx make so much more impact inside the context of the story, and the dialogue sequence makes no sense on CD if you already experienced them in the film. Identity is therefore meat for the fans of the film, who belief that they will dry their thirst with an effective but quite underwhelming listening experience.
Favorite Moment
Euhm, None
Track Listing
1. Prologue (2.57)
2. What Have You Done? (1.15)
3. Settling In (2.24)
4. Lou is Dead (3.24)
5. Suicide Jumper (2.13)
6. It Was an Accident (2.29)
7. Bodies Disappear (1.44)
8. May 10th (2.22)
9. Rhode's Secret (2.39)
10. Showdown (2.20)
11. Orange Grove (2.55)
12. No Second Chance (1.27)
13. Identity End Credits (3.37)
Total Length: 31.46
Don't get me wrong. The score sounds great in the film, but on disc you tend to forget it's actually there. That you were actually there. The opening "Prologue" with the mysterious theme on hobo and flute is catchy, and puts you immediately in this calm state of mind, one that quickly changes to a more oppressive tone. The moody "What Have you Done?", the hypnotizing work of an electric guitar and a percussive thump in "Settling In", the atonal attacks with the eerie underscore in "Lou is Dead" or the eerie emotional "Suicide Jumper", you get the stuff like you were expecting it. Highly effective but also quite ordinary.
Because the strings continue to support the eerie, the mystery, the attacks (the screeching violins in "May 10th" and "Rhode's Secret". The occasional musical noises continue to create disbelief ("Bodies Dissapear", the heartbeat in "May 10th"). And the finale delivers the climax in typical unsettling fashion ("Showdown"). And then we haven't reached the real end yet. The brief emotional theme of track 6 returns as a sort of love theme for Amanda Peet and John Cusack's character in "Orange Grove", followed by the main theme of track 1. This is immediately followed by the shocking climax in "No Second Chance", delivering a bunch of musical atonal sfx that totally enhances the experience in the film.
The final track sumps it up the best though. A brief dialogue sequence from the film, the heartbeat sound effect, the love theme and the hypnotizing work of that electric guitar with again a brief dialogue sequence. Making Identity in fact quite the effective little helper. But one that helps out the best in the film, and not on CD. Because the musical sfx make so much more impact inside the context of the story, and the dialogue sequence makes no sense on CD if you already experienced them in the film. Identity is therefore meat for the fans of the film, who belief that they will dry their thirst with an effective but quite underwhelming listening experience.
Favorite Moment
Euhm, None
Track Listing
1. Prologue (2.57)
2. What Have You Done? (1.15)
3. Settling In (2.24)
4. Lou is Dead (3.24)
5. Suicide Jumper (2.13)
6. It Was an Accident (2.29)
7. Bodies Disappear (1.44)
8. May 10th (2.22)
9. Rhode's Secret (2.39)
10. Showdown (2.20)
11. Orange Grove (2.55)
12. No Second Chance (1.27)
13. Identity End Credits (3.37)
Total Length: 31.46