[Closed] Now Playing XXXIX

The Ghost and Mrs Muir - Bernard Herrmann

An exquisite score, one of the very finest. Love Elmer Bernstein's recording of it (though I have no frame of reference, admittedly).

I listen to this album a lot, on loop. Life goes by. It's fascinating.

From all of his works, only 'i am number four' sounded like this to you?



Indeed. Very amusing to compare it with THE PACIFIC.

Well, no, I guess. He has produced some very enjoyable albums - he obviously has severe limits, but working within them has made stuff like Deep Blue Sea and National Treasure which - while hardly frequently-played albums by me - are certainly entertaining. By aiming for a more orchestral sound with I Am Number Four, I fear he has gone beyond those limits and it sounds (without wanting to be cruel) a bit like a high school "Let's write a film score this week!" exercise. (Of course, it goes beyond anything I could write!)



Yes. One is a work of passion and beauty, the other sounds like a box-ticking exercise (not sure if that phrase has meaning outside the UK).

NP: An edited suite from Silva's re-recordings of Shore's LORD OF THE RINGS (gee, I had time on my hands in those days!)

This contains the instrumental versions of Gollum's Song, Into the West, and softer cues like Twilight and Shadow and Evenstar. Runs about 20 minutes or so, and gets round the tempo issues that afflict the more kinetic tracks. Good for relaxing.

The Tree of Life - Alexandre Desplat

I really liked this score a lot. It's the most meditative score I've heard since White Oleander. I especially liked "River", "Awakening", and "Motherhood" (OMG!! ANOTHER WALTZ!! AAAAAHHH!!!!!).

when i heard this score for the first time, i thought what an amazing score. fantastic themes and a wonderful orchestration. but after listening to other asian soundtracks i have to say it's a weak score, especially for the topic and setting of the movie. it's a movie with the setting in japan and the score sounds like chinese music. maybe they thought let's make us a little bit asian music. nobody will recognize the difference between chinese and japanese music. the next problem is, the music doesn't feel like real asian music. williams just imetates the asian style. for example christopher gordon's score from Mao's Last Dancer is far superior to Memoirs Of A Geisha. Memoirs Of A Geisha is technically a very good score, but the real asian feeling, in this case the real japanese feeling, is missing. why didn't they hire joe hisaishi or shigeru umebayashi? but that's hollywood.

NP: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2 (Hans Zimmer)

Variable. Not too keen on the action music, but love the calmer, Hispanic flavours with guitar and vocals.

Agree. in my Williams top 10. and in my all time favourite list.

No, I'm playing my entire Zimmer collection in chronological order, and I like ALL of them: RAIN MAN, BLACK RAIN, BACKDRAFT, BEYOND RANGOON (my favourite), POWER OF ONE, K2, LION KING, LION KING - BROADWAY, CRIMSON TIDE, THE ROCK, MI 2, GLADIATOR, THE LAST SAMURAI and now THE DA VINCI CODE. Will end it with the WINGS OF A FILM compilation.

These are albums I want to hang on to and that I really, really enjoy. The Zimmers that I don't like, I've sold off. And then there are those that I want, but that I haven't picked up yet.

NP: The Tree of Life - Alexandre Desplat

There aren't too many film composers that could pull off a score of this sort. It's so minimal but for some reason I was taken on this extraordinary journey where each and every note... even the long, hypnotic, almost drone like cues... are saying something to me. Desplat's music has sustained my interest without doing a whole hell of a lot, which is saying quite a bit about Desplat's talent, creativity and understanding of the film's subject matter.

On my first listen I was eager to hear where Desplat was going to take his music. And even after 5, 6 and 7 minutes of string textures and piano twinkling, which would normally bore the absolute piss out of me, I was still engaged to the point where I stopped what ever it was I was doing to turn up the volume and give this score my undivided attention. The textures Desplat creates are so simple and yet so achingly beautiful.

But it's not all airy texture and ambiance. Desplat has created some signature melodies as well including a lovely tune for piano, strings and harp in the track "Motherhood." which unfortunately is far too short.

And the range of emotions on display here are incredible especially when a composer uses so little to say so much. In the PR Desplat says, "the score for The Tree of Life had to convey the river - like the motion of life, a fluid stream from birth to death, keeping a sense of Innocence, Purity, Simplicity. But it also had to oppose the Good and Evil, Light and Darkness, Happiness and Sorrow. And express how Love can slowly morph to Anger and back again.” Boy did he ever succeed!

As most of you know I don't really feel many Desplat scores but for some reason I'm falling in love with this score... maybe it has something to do with the fact that I've only had 8 hours sleep in the past 4 days... that could be clouding my judgment. And now, because of Desplat's music, I'm interested in seeing the film.

In any case, I'm just as surprised as you all are in reading my praise for this score but it has taken a hold of me and hasn't let go. As it stands right now The Tree of Life one of the finest scores I've heard this year!

<< I know.

-Erik-

This is a score I need to return to, I've only probably listened to it twice but it didn't do much for me, there's always hope though, the example is playing right now, SPR was a score I dismissed and now it's one of my most beloved scores.


NP : SAVING PRIVATE RYAN - John Williams

Writing about music can be so difficult sometimes. How can someone like me describe this music in a way which doesn't make it sound dull? Yet it has genuinely excited me in a way few scores have in a while. The album's not perfect - I'd chop out Temptation, for sure - but it is, I think, a work of real elegance that feels tremendously enriching.

I still feel I'm finding more in it - and, this may sound daft, but somehow learning from it - after a couple of dozen listens.

Surprised you liked it, Erik. Maybe I should give it a shot too, from one Desplat critic to another.