By Breanne Brennan There was a plethora of interesting scores released this year, and these are my picks for the best of 2017. Worth a Listen: DOWNSIZING (Rolfe Kent) “The World is Amazed” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Goj0Lt8ETVI GET OUT (Michael Abels) "Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga (Main Title)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_EBKLTvNtg A GHOST STORY (Daniel Hart) “Little Notes” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4yhtLdH5I0 HICKOK (Andrew Joslyn) “Every Man Has His Demons” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaM3E3PZINE MOLLY'S GAME (Daneil Pemberton) “Staring Down a Mountain” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJJRyzgbFUo MULLY (Benjamin Wallfisch) “Finding Water” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N3CdTd4Z84 PHANTOM THREAD (Jonny Greenwood) “House of Woodcock” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT_XjcdgT6g REBEL IN THE RYE (Bear McCreary) “Innocence” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DnfWU6ZQbg VICTORIA AND ABDUL (Thomas Newman) "Glassalt Shiel" https://open.spotify.com/track/4NbZjpHRGLzKY5Is3LxbAy WONDERSTRUCK (Carter Burwell) “Little Girl, Big City” https://open.spotify.com/track/2G1c74QPfeIZYTV6rY367S Runner Up THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (Carter Burwell) Burwell’s no-nonsense twangy score almost sounds like one that would’ve worked as an alternate for TRUE GRIT. Its “justice is coming” tone is matched with some more melancholy solo piano melodies. I almost wished the score was longer, given its mere thirteen less-than-three minute tracks on the soundtrack itself. Top Ten 10. THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US (Ramin Djawadi) A mostly restrained effort for Djawadi, who is often stuck in GAME OF THRONES territory with some of his action-oriented scores of late. Here, he creates a beautiful sweeping piano/strings theme that helps contrast some of the score’s more dissonant, wintery motifs. https://open.spotify.com/track/3XMjWpGgB1aUOTwQZQjEpM 9. THE SNOWMAN (Marco Beltrami) This could have easily fallen into Reznor and Ross territory with more atmospheric and low-key instrumentation, but Beltrami instead goes for something much more unique and unsettling. His suspenseful blend of atmospheric strings, piano, and carillon bells makes for an evocative listen, and a prime example of a score being much better than the actual movie it accompanies. 8. ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD (Daniel Pemberton) If a bass-heavy string ensemble could personify a steely human being, then look no further than Pemberton’s classically-inspired score. He plays with several different motifs here, including a pompous and diabolical waltz, a solitary flute, operatic chorales, and his trademark driving percussive sounds. While there’s a lot going on in this score that might not make it sound appropriately cohesive, it’s still one of the more fascinating listens of this year’s soundtrack offerings. 7. MARSHALL (Marcus Miller) This score could have easily been a by-the-books dissonant “legal movie” score. Instead, Miller’s emphasis on the film’s Harlem jazz-stylings and swing music make this a great listen, and he still gives an emotional edge to several of the score’s more tender and dramatic moments. 6. WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (Michael Giacchino) Giacchino’s certainly been busy this summer, and his latest APES score is arguably one of the best action movie scores of the year so far. Deep, rich chorales from the previous film are carried over and enhanced with driving animal-like percussion. The orchestrations are relatively restrained for an action score, and the main waltz-style theme shines in delicate piano sequences, offering perfect emotional contrast to its more forceful renditions. 5. THOR: RAGNAROK (Mark Mothersbaugh) One of the best action scores of the year. Mothersbaugh goes far afield for a Marvel score, which have often been trapped in regal heroic throw-away motifs that tend to get stale over time. Yet, given the lighter, humorous tone of the latest THOR installment, the choice to have Mothersbaugh tap into his techno roots was an incredibly apropos. 4. KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD (Daniel Pemberton) Pemberton has been busy this past year, but his ARTHUR score is one that’s a knockout. He blends modern-sounding percussive elements with harsh, scrappy human breath instrumentations to make for one of the year’s most unique and original scores. 3. STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (John Williams) It felt sacrilegious to not include a John Williams score on this list, and, well, his latest entry in the STAR WARS canon is a great effort. I’ve gone into the prequels expecting the same-old-same-old from Williams, however, with these last two installments, I’ve been rather satisfied. Rather than the sound of a mash of brass and string orchestrations, Williams keeps his recognizable themes in check. He revives the “Luke and Leia” theme with great effect here, and it also gives the score a nice bit of emotional nostalgia. 2. THE SHAPE OF WATER (Alexandre Desplat) It’s trademark Desplat poetry found in previous scores like BENJAMIN BUTTON and LUST, CAUTION, but still a good thing. He creates a dreamy and suspenseful score with wavery whistling, punctuated by a romantic little accordion and fluttery flute that feels reflective of the film’s gilled subject and time period. But what Desplat seems to have effortlessly achieved here is giving life to water in his melodies. Whether it’s the ebb and flow of waves or the feeling of floating underwater, these feelings can be found in a number of themes of this tender score. 1. THE LOVERS (Mandy Hoffman) Were you to listen to the score before seeing its associated movie, you might think it was something out of an old Hollywood romance or a fairy tale, given its lush, lilting Golden Age-style orchestrations. This most underrated soundtrack of the year is worth repeated listens for anyone looking to escape the blare of Summer action movie scores. Hopefully we’ll be hearing more of Hoffman in the future.
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By Brett Blake The conventional wisdom regarding 2017 has (so far) been that it was an excellent year at the movies, one of the best in recent memory... but I don’t think I really agree with that. While I don’t at all think it was a bad year by any means, I am unable to buy into the hype. For the most part, I think 2017 produced many good films, but relatively few great films. Also, it should go without explanation that when I call this list “My Favorite Films of the Year,” what I’m really saying is that there are the movies I enjoyed the most, not necessarily the ones that were objectively the best. Before we get to the ranked Top 10, here are 10 additional - unranked - “Honorable Mentions” to present a slightly more complete view of the types of movies that I enjoyed in 2017: • SPLIT • I, TONYA • THE BEGUILED • MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS • THOR: RAGNAROK • GERALD’S GAME • CREEP 2 • GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 • A CURE FOR WELLNESS • STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI And now... My 10 Favorite Films of 2017 10. PERSONAL SHOPPER (Olivier Assayas) A haunting and evocative examination of grief, loneliness, and temptation. Kristen Stewart, an actress I’ve never been particularly fond of, delivers a textured and nuanced portrayal of a young woman dealing with - among other things - ghostly forces and a sinister stalker. Though the movie has trappings of the horror genre (and contains a few moments of genuine suspense), it’s far more interested in the internal hang-ups and conflicts of Stewart’s character. Genre fans may feel (correctly) that the movie could probably use a few more overt spooky moments, but for the most part this the film is eerie and understated in ways which give it a unique flavor. 09. THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (Yorgos Lanthimos) This tale of a surgeon’s unhealthy relationship with an unusual - and unusually troubled - teenage boy is one of the most uncomfortable and confrontational movies of the year, and yet... somehow... it’s a compelling and engrossing watch throughout. Writer/director Lanthimos clearly has peculiar sensibilities, and those are on full display in this movie, set in a world where people are both oddly stilted and oddly frank in their interactions, and where one very strange individual can ruin the lives of a family. Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman are terrific here, but young Barry Keoghan is the real revelation, contributing a turn of mundane weirdness that is incredibly memorable and unsettling. It must be stressed, though: this is not a movie that will be to everyone’s taste. 08. LOGAN (James Mangold) A graphically violent, Western-inspired comic book movie, LOGAN turns the page on the Hugh Jackman era of the Wolverine character, and it may represent the finest work he’s ever done on screen in any role. Jackman brings a degree of self-loathing to this (his ninth time playing the character) that is palpable and striking, but he also manages to convey that the character’s heroic nature is buried... but not fully gone. This is mature, adult material that takes risks with its characters and its story, and is an affecting and cathartic send-off for one of superhero cinema’s most iconic characters. 07. BLADE RUNNER 2049 (Denis Villeneuve) Visually, this is the most spectacular film that 2017 had to offer. Roger Deakins’ cinematography is absolutely stunning from start to finish, and coupled with the production design and the costumes, it makes the movie a true sight to behold. As with the original BLADE RUNNER, I’m skeptical that there is as much thematic depth under the surface as the movie seemingly thinks there is, but this is by no means a story devoid of interesting questions, particularly ones that relate to the nature of memory, its reliability, and its connection to our humanity. Make no mistake, though, this movie is on this list because of how incredible it looks. 06. IT (Andy Muschietti) An incredibly faithful tonal adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, but I won’t argue with anybody who didn’t find the movie scary; certain moments got me to jump, sure, but the strength of this particular film is not how well it functions simply as a horror movie, but as film overall. The young characters around which the yarn is spun are played by some very talented performers who have such a palpable, tangible, wonderful camaraderie and friendship develop over the course of the movie, which patches over some of the possible weaknesses of the horror sections. And even still, there’s a roller-coaster ride energy to the big scare setpieces that gives them a viscerally satisfying punch (for me), and Bill Skarsgård hands in an effective and fun performance as Pennywise, the sinister clown embodiment of evil at the heart of the story. 05. DARKEST HOUR (Joe Wright) The performance of Gary Oldman’s career, and that’s really saying something. Oldman takes the part of the Winston Churchill - one of world history’s most pivotal players - and dives in, embodying the cliches that might come to mind when one thinks of Churchill, while also bringing a whole other layer of humanity and unexpected warmth to the role. In conjunction with the makeup, it’s a remarkable piece of acting. Director Wright keeps things visually engaging at all times (scene transitions are often inventive and kind of fun), and Dario Marianelli's strings-and-piano-led musical score adds a propulsive feel to the proceedings. Historical dramas often run the risk of being stuffy and boring, but DARKEST HOUR is never not fully engaging. 04. WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (Matt Reeves) While it doesn’t surpass the previous movie in this latest APES saga, WAR continues that very high level of quality and depth of character. The movie grapples with interesting philosophical questions without ever getting too bogged down by them, and it puts Caesar, our ape hero played by Andy Serkis, into difficult spots, both morally and physically. The effects work used to bring the ape characters to life is somehow even better than ever, effortlessly convincing us that we’re seeing real animals interacting with real space. What the film lacks in the kind of quirk and silliness that the old PLANET OF THE APES series had, it makes up for in a desire to tell a rather personal, moving story about a leader trying to keep his people safe. On that score, I was deeply satisfied by this (concluding?) entry in the franchise. 03. WIND RIVER (Taylor Sheridan) A crime mystery, but one with a beating heart and a keen interest in humanity, in all its flaws and attributes. The crime angle of the story is effective, and will satisfy those who are just along for the mystery, but where the movie excels is in the quality of the character writing, as well as the decision to set the story in a cold, desolate, and under-represented part of America, a place where hard decisions are made and people have to do their best (or perhaps not their best) to get by. Jeremy Renner is so good here in the lead role, bringing an understated and subtle warmth to what could have been a very cliched “type.” He’s naturalistic and convincingly grounded, and it’s one of his best performances. 02. GET OUT (Jordan Peele) GET OUT is a potent horror movie: one that has something on its mind, has a definite point of view, but also doesn’t sacrifice the genre elements at the altar of “having a message.” GET OUT fully works just on the horror level, drawing fun inspiration from any number of older sources and synthesizing them into a very fresh, entertaining package. Beyond that, writer/director Peele uses the genre as a vehicle to tackle the issue of race, and he does it in ways both pointed and restrained, yes, but he also - very refreshingly - doesn’t come at the issue from the obvious angle one might expect. He leaves room for nuance and complexity, while also never pulling his punches, and that’s a pretty remarkable achievement. 01. DUNKIRK (Christopher Nolan) An accomplishment of impressive scale, DUNKIRK represents Christopher Nolan at the height of his powers as a director. He stages sequences of staggering scope here, often involving copious extras, stunt work, real ships and planes, explosions, and fire, and when one thinks of the logistical considerations required to make all that work, Nolan’s achievement here cannot be understated. He also brilliantly employs a split narrative, which moves forward along three separate timelines, each taking place over a different amount of time; the result is miraculously never confusing, because the editing is so strong and effective. Some will find DUNKIRK to be a cold, removed experience, and I don’t think those people are necessarily wrong, but the arm’s length at which Nolan keeps the audience for the bulk of the movie brilliantly (for me) sets up its final few minutes, which carry a real, powerful, emotional weight to them.
By Breanne Brennan It difficult not to savor a Guillermo del Toro film. From PAN’S LABYRINTH to CRIMISON PEAK, many of his works are gorgeous works of art that create a rich sensory experience for the viewer, but sometimes lack a much-needed punch to make them truly exceptional. However, with THE SHAPE OF WATER, del Toro has finally brought everything together in an exceptional magical package. Set in Cold War-era Baltimore, the film opens with a glimpse of mute heroine Elisa Esposito’s (the magnificent Sally Hawkins) mundane existence, and working the night-shift as a cleaner at an austere government facility. Her world gets turned upside down when she forms a bond with a mysterious water creature (Doug Jones) that is brought to the lab and antagonized by ruthless agent Strickland (Michael Shannon). Espionage, romance, and suspense ensue. The film is very much an adult fairy tale, grappling with themes of loneliness, unhappiness, and obsession, not only with Elisa, but with all of its motley supporting characters. Octavia Spencer gives a reserved and nuanced performance as Elisa’s friend and co-worker Zelda, whose humorous jabs about her idle husband are buried beneath a layer of cynicism. Shannon easily captures Strickland’s formidable desire to succeed by any means necessary, while seemingly unravelling in the process (and with a bit of scenery chewing in the end). MVP Richard Jenkins as Elisa’s closeted neighbor Giles, offers some comedic bits, but harbors a deep desire to make something out of his life. Michael Stuhlbarg also rounds out the cast as conflicted scientist Dr. Hoffstetler. However, it’s Hawkins who makes her job playing the mute Elisa look effortless, deftly signing her dialogue and carrying the weight of the film’s emotional moments through her expressions. She’s a joy to watch, and gives one of the best performances of her career. Also worth mentioning is Paul D. Austerberry’s stellar production design. In particular, the environments are saturated in a palette of green hues, from the candy that Strickland continually pops, to the décor in Elisa’s apartment. It’s also filled with nods to old-Hollywood film and style, which Austerberry comments on more in detail here. In addition, Alexandre Desplat’s romantic and wispy score elevates the film’s dreamy tone. The wavery whistling, punctuated by a romantic little accordion and fluttery flute that feels reflective of the film’s gilled subject and time period. But what Desplat seems to have easily achieved here is giving life to water in his melodies. Whether it’s the ebb and flow of waves or the sense of floating underwater, these feelings can be found in a number of themes in this tender score. While the movie won’t be for everyone, (some might find the overall message preachy or cliché, or the overall subject matter off-putting) this viewer found the film exceled in its intriguing storytelling, adept performances, and bold technical elements all successfully blending together to create one of 2017’s best films. By Brett Blake All things considered, 2017 turned out to be a solid year for the art of film scoring. The music of a film can make or break the movie, so important is it to the overall package, so I always enjoy getting the chance to share my thoughts on the subject. Breanne Brennan and I have already walked through the major film scores of the year (see our articles HERE and HERE), but as has become an annual tradition for me, it’s now my turn to definitively rank the 10 best! In most cases, I’ll be embedding one or two tracks for each score, as well as linking to some additional cues. Honorable Mentions • THE MUMMY (Brian Tyler) - “A Sense of Adventure” • THE POST (John Williams) - “The Court’s Decision and End Credits” • THE SHAPE OF WATER (Alexandre Desplat) - “The Escape” • COCO (Michael Giacchino) - “Coco - Día de los Muertos Suite” • ALIEN: COVENANT (Jed Kurzel) - “The Medbay” The Top 10 10. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES (Geoff Zanelli) That’s right, the score for the fifth (!) PIRATES film has broken into my top 10, and I’m as surprised as you are. Zanelli resurrects Hans Zimmer’s familiar sound and themes for the series, but he adds some wonderful flourishes here, and brings several major new themes to the table, including an infectious action motif (which is a disguised variant on one of Zimmer’s existing themes) and a pair of ethereal, mystical melodies related to the supernatural treasure hunt at the center of the story, one for the young woman propelling the plot and the other for the artifact itself. Both get a workout in the score’s standout cue, “The Brightest Star in the North,” but the entire score is a relentlessly entertaining listen. “No Woman Has Ever Handled My Herschel” “Kill the Filthy Pirate, I’ll Wait” “El Matador Del Mar” “The Brightest Star in the North” 9. IT (Benjamin Wallfisch) On the surface, one could be forgiven for finding this score to be a little on the “mixed bag” side; indeed, there are certainly several sections of mostly forgettable horror underscore, complete with loud orchestral outbursts that are hard to really enjoy. However, looking beyond that, one will find a far greater number of moments of eerie, symphonic mystery or delicate longing evoking childhood friendship. These moments, not the overt horror stuff, represent some of the most effective passages of the year. “Every 27 Years” 8. VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS (Alexandre Desplat) Desplat has been receiving positive nods for his THE SHAPE OF WATER score (which appears among my Honorable Mentions above), but his work for VALERIAN is easily the superior effort. It is a deft, sometimes dazzling blend of orchestral and electronic elements, packed with personality and color. There isn’t as much thematic invention as one might like, but there are some great highlights here, including moments where Desplat’s quirky creativity and playfulness can’t help but make score fans smile a bit. “Big Market” 7. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (Michael Giacchino) The ever-prolific Giacchino gets a shot to follow in the footsteps of other Spidey composers like Danny Elfman, Christopher Young, and James Horner, and he delivers a positive, upbeat, and hummable main theme for the hero that fits the character very well. Additionally, Giacchino brings energetic action material to the table that not only provides the score with some catchy action motifs, but also puts his main Spider-Man melody through its paces and reveals it to be a quite versatile little theme. “Academic Decommitment” “Drag Racing / An Old Van Rundown” “Monumental Meltdown” “A Stark Contrast” “Spider-Man: Homecoming Suite” 6. DARKEST HOUR (Dario Marianelli) Pretty much a textbook example of the Dario Marianelli sound, but that’s not a bad thing, and it’s extremely effective for the movie it’s supporting. It’s a score dominated by piano and string-driven rhythms. There’s a propulsive quality to much of the music, evoking the feeling of a situation ever-changing and moving somewhere important. Delicate when it should be, grand when it needs to be. The piano writing and performance are superb throughout. This is a score that treats a fairly pivotal moment in world history with the weight and reverence it deserves. “Where is Winston?” 5. A CURE FOR WELLNESS (Benjamin Wallfisch) Wallfisch had a prolific 2017. In addition to his score for IT (my #9 score of the year), he composed the music for ANNABELLE: CREATION, and was also heavily involved in DUNKIRK and BLADE RUNNER 2049, both with Hans Zimmer. However, his 2017 magnum opus is surely this grandiose, bombastic, at-times-operatic thriller score, for which Wallfisch leaves it all on the field. Want memorable themes? They’re here. Want big, sweeping orchestration? It’s here. Even want a splash of 1980s-inspired synth elements? They’re in here, too. This score is Wallfisch’s coming out party, an announcement that he’s ready for anything anybody could throw at him. “Our Thoughts Exactly” 4. MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (Patrick Doyle) Doyle has always been a reliable composer, but with this score, he proves to be one of our most undervalued. His work here is fabulous, conveying the glamour and exotic flavors of early 20th century travel, the particular peculiarities of the story’s detective hero, Hercule Poirot, and the unsettling mystery at the center of the tale. But beyond that, the emotional core of the movie is where Doyle really cuts loose and blows the doors off by delivering an achingly beautiful theme (presented at-length in the showstopping “Justice” cue) that is deeply affecting in its simplicity. It’s truly exquisite scoring. “The Wailing Wall” “Jaffa to Stamboul” 3. WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (Michael Giacchino) Giacchino returns to close out this latest APES saga with a confident and complex piece of work which continues what he started in his previous score for the series, but adds to that a level of naked emotion and maturity. There are dark, gripping passages in here, which really build some wonderful tension and hammer home the undercurrents the movie is attempting to explore. That said, this is far from a dour listen, as Giacchino can’t help but have some fun here, with a major new “traveling” theme that is a bit of an earworm, as well as some moments of unusual orchestration that subtly call back to Jerry Goldsmith’s idiosyncratic scoring for the very first PLANET OF THE APES film. “Assault of the Earth” “Exodus Wounds” 2. THOR: RAGNAROK (Mark Mothersbaugh) A stunningly pleasant surprise. Frankly, I had no idea Mothersbaugh had a score of this scale in him. He deftly marries some retro, synthwave-y, electronic coolness with an absolutely massive and unabashedly sweeping orchestral backbone. What it lacks in long-lined melodies (though there are certainly themes), it more than makes up for in scope and harmonic intensity, and Mothersbaugh even brings back thematic material from the previous THOR movies. Some have been waiting for a score with personality from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and this has personality to spare. “Thor: Ragnarok” 1. STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (John Williams) My number one pick could have been nothing else. At age 85, John Williams has again conjured up some musical magic and delivered another STAR WARS score of tremendous quality. In some ways, this score is more like a traditional sequel score than any of the previous STAR WARS entries, as Williams dedicates himself here to expanding upon the set of themes he introduced in THE FORCE AWAKENS (for Rey, Kylo Ren, and the Resistance, particularly), while also brilliantly weaving in a slew of classic themes from the Original Trilogy. Themes for the Force, Leia, and the Rebels feature heavily, but Williams also strategically uses the Imperial March, the Emperor’s theme, Yoda’s theme, and - beautifully - Luke and Leia’s sibling theme. All of these are implemented by Williams for peak dramatic effect, and the result is hugely effective in the film. But wait, there’s more! Since this is a new STAR WARS movie, of course we have new themes -- one to represent Luke Skywalker’s exile, and another for one of the movie’s major new characters, Rose. Williams combines these two new themes in concert suite format in the cue “The Rebellion is Reborn,” and it’s a highlight of the score, second only to “The Spark,” which features a spine-tingling climax of epic proportions that only Williams could have written. It is kind of astonishing that Williams (at his age) has been able to keep the quality extremely high, and THE LAST JEDI is a supremely worthy addition to the musical pantheon of the series. “Main Title and Escape” “The Supremacy” “The Rebellion is Reborn” “The Spark” |
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