The Final Cut
Brian Tyler
" Lovely moments in a long experience "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
In The Final Cut, Robin Williams plays Alan Hakman, a cutter in the near future, known for putting the memories people store inside their memory implants into a rememory, a compilation of the images the person sees and stores until his death. This is done to comfort the mourning family so that they can hold a lasting picture of their deceased. The question however is, what do you have to do if that deceased person did something others didn't want to share? That intriguing idea was made into a motion picture sci-fi thriller, a movie apparently nobody wanted to see. That made no difference to Brian Tyler, the composer of the score. Because his year is as busy as ever.
The opening track "The Final Cut Main Title" paints a different picture than those we receive in other Brian Tyler scores. Namely no energetic rip roaring action cue, but a well thought out development. Creating a like able feeling that you can actually feel the suspense flowing through the flutes, the piano and the brass, building towards a climax. The same feeling returns in "Download Preparation", "Zoe Revelation", "Eye Tech" (one more louder than the other) and the returning main title moments in "Alan the Cutter" and "The Final Cut End Title".
Furthermore, Brian Tyler paints another picture for the cutters, namely one of solitude and loneliness. "Fletcher the Cutter" and "Rememory" is really lovely through the use of piano and solo cello, the dramatic piano in "Dreams" can sooth one easily while the piano effect in "Enter Apartment" enhances the danger very accurately on the other hand.
Of course, Brian Tyler's known action sound can't be far away once the action takes it to the next level. And so expect "Desperate Pursuit" to present it familiarly, but not overblown. The laid back jazz song "Enchanted Days" brings an unexpected surprise to the forefront, the other song "Hollow" requires a different state of mind. Meaning The Final Cut has variety, but that's not the biggest issue.
You see, the problem in the end is not the originality but the length. 60 minutes is way too much to musically support The Final Cut, at least on CD. I have to admit that this album makes me want to listen to Brian Tyler more, not because there is hardly any action music, but because it's more thoughtful and quite original to appreciate. The main title cue shows best of all Brian Tyler supporting actual imagery, and no more that wall to wall action music. Meaning, this is thought out filmmusic progression. Then again, so does most of Brian Tyler's more dramatic music. Making The Final Cut promising in several cues, but again way too long to listen to in full.
Track Listing
1. The Final Cut Main Title (3.55)
2. Fletcher the Cutter (1.48)
3. Download Preparation (1.41)
4. Dreams (2.51)
5. Protestors (1.41)
6. Don't Touch (0.58)
7. Zoe Revelation (2.51)
8. Desperate Pursuit (1.58)
9. Absolution (1.17)
10. Enchanted Days: Kathryn Bostic * (4.03)
11. Eye Tech (3.06)
12. Bittersweet (1.23)
13. Tattoo Parlor (1.14)
14. Alan's Memory (4.39)
15. Hollow: Ja Wah ** (3.31)
16. Enter Apartment (1.58)
17. Alan The Cutter (3.43)
18. Sin Eater (1.38)
19. Inversion (1.22)
20. Seeing a Ghost (1.49)
21. Violation (1.44)
22. Riga de Pichetto (1.13)
23. Outside Theater (0.42)
24. The Amazing Alan (1.05)
25. Journey Back (4.27)
26. I, Bannister (0.40)
27. Rememory (2.39) Excellent track
28. The Final Cut End Title (3.01)
* Music and lyrics by Brian Tyler
** Music written by Brian Tyler & Michael Nielsen, lyrics by Brian Tyler
Total Length: 62.57
The opening track "The Final Cut Main Title" paints a different picture than those we receive in other Brian Tyler scores. Namely no energetic rip roaring action cue, but a well thought out development. Creating a like able feeling that you can actually feel the suspense flowing through the flutes, the piano and the brass, building towards a climax. The same feeling returns in "Download Preparation", "Zoe Revelation", "Eye Tech" (one more louder than the other) and the returning main title moments in "Alan the Cutter" and "The Final Cut End Title".
Furthermore, Brian Tyler paints another picture for the cutters, namely one of solitude and loneliness. "Fletcher the Cutter" and "Rememory" is really lovely through the use of piano and solo cello, the dramatic piano in "Dreams" can sooth one easily while the piano effect in "Enter Apartment" enhances the danger very accurately on the other hand.
Of course, Brian Tyler's known action sound can't be far away once the action takes it to the next level. And so expect "Desperate Pursuit" to present it familiarly, but not overblown. The laid back jazz song "Enchanted Days" brings an unexpected surprise to the forefront, the other song "Hollow" requires a different state of mind. Meaning The Final Cut has variety, but that's not the biggest issue.
You see, the problem in the end is not the originality but the length. 60 minutes is way too much to musically support The Final Cut, at least on CD. I have to admit that this album makes me want to listen to Brian Tyler more, not because there is hardly any action music, but because it's more thoughtful and quite original to appreciate. The main title cue shows best of all Brian Tyler supporting actual imagery, and no more that wall to wall action music. Meaning, this is thought out filmmusic progression. Then again, so does most of Brian Tyler's more dramatic music. Making The Final Cut promising in several cues, but again way too long to listen to in full.
Track Listing
1. The Final Cut Main Title (3.55)
2. Fletcher the Cutter (1.48)
3. Download Preparation (1.41)
4. Dreams (2.51)
5. Protestors (1.41)
6. Don't Touch (0.58)
7. Zoe Revelation (2.51)
8. Desperate Pursuit (1.58)
9. Absolution (1.17)
10. Enchanted Days: Kathryn Bostic * (4.03)
11. Eye Tech (3.06)
12. Bittersweet (1.23)
13. Tattoo Parlor (1.14)
14. Alan's Memory (4.39)
15. Hollow: Ja Wah ** (3.31)
16. Enter Apartment (1.58)
17. Alan The Cutter (3.43)
18. Sin Eater (1.38)
19. Inversion (1.22)
20. Seeing a Ghost (1.49)
21. Violation (1.44)
22. Riga de Pichetto (1.13)
23. Outside Theater (0.42)
24. The Amazing Alan (1.05)
25. Journey Back (4.27)
26. I, Bannister (0.40)
27. Rememory (2.39) Excellent track
28. The Final Cut End Title (3.01)
* Music and lyrics by Brian Tyler
** Music written by Brian Tyler & Michael Nielsen, lyrics by Brian Tyler
Total Length: 62.57