The Happening
James Newton Howard
" The Happening is not bad, but it is missing a catch. "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
What is happening with M. Night Shyamalan? After an amazing trio of ground breaking movies about the paranormal, the unbreakable and the science fictional, the rest weren't quite as successful. In contrast with that, the musical encores of collaborative voice James Newton Howard were never better. While the movies received less and less acclaim, so did the scores receive more and better critical recognition. It is then also a bit sad that for The Happening both the movie and music are missing a thing. The Happening has the great visceral shots, the undeniable staggering build up of Shyamalan and some really great scenes, but it misses an ending that completes the whole story telling feeling. The music works perfectly inside the movie, and yet on disc it somewhat remains in the background if you want to compare it with all those other musical treats he served up for the Indian director.
I'm not saying The Happening is bad, I'm saying The Happening is missing a catch. Like Signs there's a three note motif that works as a danger theme, showing that whenever this piece turns up, danger is lurking around the corner. Like The Village, there's a solo instrument (this time the cello) working around that danger motif to conjure up the emotional struggles of the leading characters. But is there something happening when you hear these musical tracks at play? I'm afraid not the way I wanted or expected them to do. The dreamy piano, the lonesome cello and the danger motif turn up a hypnotizing begin of the score, but alas after "Main Titles" not much else happens.
Because in "Evacuating Philadelphia" the cello sound is great, but the emotion of The Village it never reached. It's more a mysterious Lady in the Water feel we receive in return. "Vice Principal" has the cello bringing the three note danger motif to play, but its sombre outcome is not that enticing.
The only loud attacking cues turn out to be "Central Park" and "Mrs. Jones", bringing forth an eerie atmospheric ride that transforms into the danger motif, staggering percussion and a mighty suspenseful Herrmann feel. Think of Signs without the amazing conclusion. But in The Happening it is more then enough.
It is then also sad that during these two climatic suspense thrillers, the remainder of the score is covering a much more sinister attitude. "We lost Contact", the danger motif in "You Can't Just Leave us Here", the atonal finish in "Rittenhouse Square", the sombre "Five Miles Back" and so on ... Is it enough? As a mood setter and underscore for the film it is ample and effective. Yet I was always so delighted that the underscore in James Newton Howard's scores were often even interesting on their own.
Perhaps it is nice to discover how Newton Howard presents his leading characters inside the movie. The mysterious piano work in "Princeton" and "My Firearm is My Friend" represent the confused human population, while a more mysterious eeriness is presenting that which hunts the humans in the first place. Effective indeed but with that it remains. The actual emotional value is found in such examples as "Jess Comforts Elliot" and "Be With You", which both have enough I Am Legend in the tone of its strings.
In the remaining tracks we either discover a total cacophony of sound in "Shotgun" while the middle holds probably the finest emotional content of all. Further along, darkish music is heard in "You Eyin' my Lemon Drink?". The lengthy "End Credits" serves up some intriguing (trumpet) minutes. But I missed the suspenseful minutes that fuelled the imminent danger in tracks 4 and 15. For a suite it is vital to bring us everything.
I don't think many will deny that Newton Howard remains a great composer where even his lesser works turn out to contain enough spirit and interest. With The Happening that is fully the case. But interest, some whispers of emotion and some minutes of staggering suspense development isn't enough to populate an entire album, or an entire film, with. The effectiveness took over from the subliminal and that works for both the movie and the music. In The Happening there isn't happening much that warrants it to place it alongside such amazing albums as ... all the other Shyamalan/Newton Howard collaborations.
Tracklisting
1. Main Titles (2.18)
2. Evacuating Philadelphia (2.21)
3. Vice Principal (1.56)
4. Central Park (2.58)
5. We Lost Contact (0.59)
6. You Can't Just Leave us Here (1.43)
7. Rittenhouse Square (1.59)
8. Five Miles Back (1.13)
9. Princeton (3.06)
10. Jess Comforts Elliot (2.31)
11. My Firearm is My Friend (2.59)
12. Abandoned House (1.32)
13. Shotgun (4.27)
14. You Eyin' my Lemon Drink? (4.28)
15. Mrs. Jones (1.44)
16. Voices (1.36)
17. Be With You (3.41)
18. End Title Suite (8.36)
Total Length: 50.07
I'm not saying The Happening is bad, I'm saying The Happening is missing a catch. Like Signs there's a three note motif that works as a danger theme, showing that whenever this piece turns up, danger is lurking around the corner. Like The Village, there's a solo instrument (this time the cello) working around that danger motif to conjure up the emotional struggles of the leading characters. But is there something happening when you hear these musical tracks at play? I'm afraid not the way I wanted or expected them to do. The dreamy piano, the lonesome cello and the danger motif turn up a hypnotizing begin of the score, but alas after "Main Titles" not much else happens.
Because in "Evacuating Philadelphia" the cello sound is great, but the emotion of The Village it never reached. It's more a mysterious Lady in the Water feel we receive in return. "Vice Principal" has the cello bringing the three note danger motif to play, but its sombre outcome is not that enticing.
The only loud attacking cues turn out to be "Central Park" and "Mrs. Jones", bringing forth an eerie atmospheric ride that transforms into the danger motif, staggering percussion and a mighty suspenseful Herrmann feel. Think of Signs without the amazing conclusion. But in The Happening it is more then enough.
It is then also sad that during these two climatic suspense thrillers, the remainder of the score is covering a much more sinister attitude. "We lost Contact", the danger motif in "You Can't Just Leave us Here", the atonal finish in "Rittenhouse Square", the sombre "Five Miles Back" and so on ... Is it enough? As a mood setter and underscore for the film it is ample and effective. Yet I was always so delighted that the underscore in James Newton Howard's scores were often even interesting on their own.
Perhaps it is nice to discover how Newton Howard presents his leading characters inside the movie. The mysterious piano work in "Princeton" and "My Firearm is My Friend" represent the confused human population, while a more mysterious eeriness is presenting that which hunts the humans in the first place. Effective indeed but with that it remains. The actual emotional value is found in such examples as "Jess Comforts Elliot" and "Be With You", which both have enough I Am Legend in the tone of its strings.
In the remaining tracks we either discover a total cacophony of sound in "Shotgun" while the middle holds probably the finest emotional content of all. Further along, darkish music is heard in "You Eyin' my Lemon Drink?". The lengthy "End Credits" serves up some intriguing (trumpet) minutes. But I missed the suspenseful minutes that fuelled the imminent danger in tracks 4 and 15. For a suite it is vital to bring us everything.
I don't think many will deny that Newton Howard remains a great composer where even his lesser works turn out to contain enough spirit and interest. With The Happening that is fully the case. But interest, some whispers of emotion and some minutes of staggering suspense development isn't enough to populate an entire album, or an entire film, with. The effectiveness took over from the subliminal and that works for both the movie and the music. In The Happening there isn't happening much that warrants it to place it alongside such amazing albums as ... all the other Shyamalan/Newton Howard collaborations.
Tracklisting
1. Main Titles (2.18)
2. Evacuating Philadelphia (2.21)
3. Vice Principal (1.56)
4. Central Park (2.58)
5. We Lost Contact (0.59)
6. You Can't Just Leave us Here (1.43)
7. Rittenhouse Square (1.59)
8. Five Miles Back (1.13)
9. Princeton (3.06)
10. Jess Comforts Elliot (2.31)
11. My Firearm is My Friend (2.59)
12. Abandoned House (1.32)
13. Shotgun (4.27)
14. You Eyin' my Lemon Drink? (4.28)
15. Mrs. Jones (1.44)
16. Voices (1.36)
17. Be With You (3.41)
18. End Title Suite (8.36)
Total Length: 50.07