Mother and Child
Edward Shearmur
" Shearmur and calmness, in one word: lovely! "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Mother and Child premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and received a limited release in the United States. Financially it didn't win back its invested funds, but received enough critical acclaim to warrant a closer look. The director of the movie tackled 3 different stories into 1, A 50-year-old woman, the daughter she gave up for adoption 35 years ago, and an African American woman looking to adopt a child of her own. Considering the director worked with Edward Shearmur before on Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her, Nine Lives and Passengers, it was obvious the man in question would hire him again to tackle his deeply dramatic tale.
The soundtrack album opens with a nice soothing song, performed by Lucy Schwartz. Basically, it sets just the right tone for the upcoming score, because it centers deeply around soothing, slightly hurt melodies that try to heal the wounds at the end of the score. In "Karen" there's room for a nice pleasing guitar melody (delivering us the main theme melody of the score), in "A Dream" and "Nora Takes a Turn" the focus is led on the piano instead, while the guitar slightly performs its means on the background instead. All in all, soothing soft opening cues.
That honestly doesn't change much after that. "Elizabeth" creates a dreamy experience with the help of the guitar, piano and cello, "Paco" is absolutely charming through the performance of the guitar while "Elizabeth Alone" dares to tackle the piano slightly dramatic for a change. The guitar performing the main theme in "Elizabeth's Letter", a nice cello solo in "Mother and Child", some creative saxophone playing in "Ray Keeps the Baby", the guitar melody of "Paco" returning in the lovely "A Waltz for Karen" and the resolving main theme (finally on piano and with a solo vocal) in "Karen's Letter" end the score as lovely as it began.
That main theme, mostly performed on guitar returns often throughout the score, all the while a piano melody from time to time reflects more the emotional feelings, situations and burdens on screen. All in all, Mother and Child is a very delicate experience that honestly works so lovely yet also so softly. This is perfect whilst doing something else, and at times it might even move you. But what it above all needs is the film, and usually with these kinds of scores that means you're listening to something lovely, but not really memorable. Luckily enough, Shearmur's melodies do have a kind of lingering effect. But if this will make people want to buy it is another question.
Tracklisting
1. Little One: Lucy Schwartz (3.11)
2. Karen (2.13)
3. A Dream (1.32)
4. Nora Takes a Turn (1.50)
5. Elizabeth (4.19)
6. Elizabeth and Paul (3.11)
7. A Kind Word (0.37)
8. Paco (2.29)
9. A Wedding (0.55)
10. Elizabeth Alone (4.40)
11. Elizabeth's Letter (2.56)
12. Mother and Child (0.48)
13. Ray Keeps the Baby (1.54)
14. The Letter is Found (2.06)
15. A Waltz for Karen (3.05)
16. Karen's Letter (4.26)
Total Length: 40.12
The soundtrack album opens with a nice soothing song, performed by Lucy Schwartz. Basically, it sets just the right tone for the upcoming score, because it centers deeply around soothing, slightly hurt melodies that try to heal the wounds at the end of the score. In "Karen" there's room for a nice pleasing guitar melody (delivering us the main theme melody of the score), in "A Dream" and "Nora Takes a Turn" the focus is led on the piano instead, while the guitar slightly performs its means on the background instead. All in all, soothing soft opening cues.
That honestly doesn't change much after that. "Elizabeth" creates a dreamy experience with the help of the guitar, piano and cello, "Paco" is absolutely charming through the performance of the guitar while "Elizabeth Alone" dares to tackle the piano slightly dramatic for a change. The guitar performing the main theme in "Elizabeth's Letter", a nice cello solo in "Mother and Child", some creative saxophone playing in "Ray Keeps the Baby", the guitar melody of "Paco" returning in the lovely "A Waltz for Karen" and the resolving main theme (finally on piano and with a solo vocal) in "Karen's Letter" end the score as lovely as it began.
That main theme, mostly performed on guitar returns often throughout the score, all the while a piano melody from time to time reflects more the emotional feelings, situations and burdens on screen. All in all, Mother and Child is a very delicate experience that honestly works so lovely yet also so softly. This is perfect whilst doing something else, and at times it might even move you. But what it above all needs is the film, and usually with these kinds of scores that means you're listening to something lovely, but not really memorable. Luckily enough, Shearmur's melodies do have a kind of lingering effect. But if this will make people want to buy it is another question.
Tracklisting
1. Little One: Lucy Schwartz (3.11)
2. Karen (2.13)
3. A Dream (1.32)
4. Nora Takes a Turn (1.50)
5. Elizabeth (4.19)
6. Elizabeth and Paul (3.11)
7. A Kind Word (0.37)
8. Paco (2.29)
9. A Wedding (0.55)
10. Elizabeth Alone (4.40)
11. Elizabeth's Letter (2.56)
12. Mother and Child (0.48)
13. Ray Keeps the Baby (1.54)
14. The Letter is Found (2.06)
15. A Waltz for Karen (3.05)
16. Karen's Letter (4.26)
Total Length: 40.12