Year-end “best of” lists are a trite process at their most sincere. They are one person’s perception of what he/she felt was the greatest offerings that the previous year had to offer. Ultimately, they are highly-opinionated little vanity pieces typically designed for “journalists” to get some last-minute brownie points from respective record labels. And at the end of the day, the readers are always going to think the writer’s opinion is wrong. Did you catch that? I guess that is why I am just now getting around to making my lists in February.
Since we’re neck-deep in awards season (you know, when the industry pats itself on the back for making money through entertainment), and I disagree with the Academy on an annual basis, here’s a little list of ten film scores albums I felt rose above mediocrity (or should I say “albums I REALLY enjoyed”) in 2011:
10. IRONCLAD, composed by Lorne Balfe (Varese Sarabande)
I know, this one is a bit of a vanity piece for me, as I am a sucker for medieval period pieces, Gregorian choirs, and ancient-style instrumentation. I also wanted to toss Lorne Balfe a bone, because the guy is one of the true unsung heroes of modern film composing who I feel is going to help move film scores into fresh new territory in the future. His attention to theming, atmosphere, and emotional authenticity is nothing short of brilliant.
9. THE IRON LADY, composed by Thomas Newman (Sony)
Thomas Newman is one of those guys you just expect good things from, and The Iron Lady is no exception. While it arrived late in the year, Newman’s contribution exudes the charm, grace, and wit associated directly with the film, without falling prey to datedness. While playing to the neo-regality of the subject matter, Newman took great strides to retain modern relevance in his compositions.
8. SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS, composed by Hans Zimmer (WaterTower)
Zimmer rarely makes it into my “best of” lists primarily because he doesn’t excite me as much as he did in his early days of composing. So I find it equally surprising that this sequel score had any effect on me at all. But it really felt to me like Zimmer went out of his way to play up the cheekiness of the film, more than he did with the original, resulting in a musical romp that is more adventurous, campy, and fun than even the previous two Pirates scores had hoped to be.
7. ATTACK THE BLOCK, composed by Steven Price, Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton (Decca)
With so many cooks in the kitchen, it’s amazing the score for this soon-to-be-cult-classic sci-fi/horror/adventure flick was coherent to any capacity. But it is that very diversity of talent that makes it work. The bending of genres in the theme of the film plays hand-in-hand with the forward-thinking score. Blending traditional composing elements with ample doses of electro-static sound design, the trio of composers constructed a beast of a score that coats the film like liquid metal.
6. WAR HORSE, composed by John Williams (Sony)
As his years advance, we are treated to fewer and fewer scores by John Williams. And in 2011, we were lucky enough to have two entries by the man. While The Adventures of Tintin was decent for what it was, War Horse touched me on a more primeval level. And I think that’s where the crux of Williams’ ingenuity lies – in manipulating sound to invoke an almost spiritual reaction from the listener. Yes, it’s true that War Horse tends to borrow here and there from previous Williams works (The Patriot, Angela’s Ashes, and Hook come to mind), but I’ve learned to appreciate his knack for atmospheric tone poetry more than his penchant for bold and flashy themes. Maybe my years are advancing, too.
5. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, composed by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (Null Corp.)
As much as I kicked and screamed about R&R’s Academy Award-winning “work” for The Social Network (feel free to reminisce here), I am of the exact opposite temperament towards this little ditty (an ironic pun, since the soundtrack release spans 3 discs). In fact, if I kick and scream about anything, it is in perplexity over why this one was snubbed by the Academy this year. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is haunting, dissonant, creepy and whimsical, as though Alice was merely visiting Wonderland on her way to the Abyss. Some may argue that R&R take too long to make their musical point through this score, but I feel this is an occasion where the journey is more fun than the destination.
4. PUSS IN BOOTS, composed by Henry Jackman (Sony)
I will never understand why scores for family films and comedies are largely regarded as the bottom of the barrel with regards to critical recognition. Puss In Boots is a perfect case for a score that, like How To Train Your Dragon, successfully transcends its own genre into a serious, sophisticated collection of music – not background noise to be forgotten once the credits roll, but MUSIC to be enjoyed in various settings. Jackman pulled no punches with this one, especially given the fact that he was tasked with dragging a supporting character out of a certain ogre’s shadow. I would put his score for Puss In Boots up against any live-action adventure/fantasy flick any day.
3. HUGO, composed by Howard Shore (Howe)
Howard Shore never ceased to amaze. He is one of the few composers who can adjust seamlessly into any genre tossed his way. And he accomplishes it with chameleon-like deftness, making you think, “It sounds like Howard Shore, but it doesn’t sound like Howard Shore.” I mean, really, would anyone peg Shore for taking on a family adventure film set in 1930s France? Okay, I guess anyone who’s been in the industry for as long as Shore has will have some head-scratchers in his resume. The charm of oddity aside, Shore takes us on a musical joyride into the past towards the unknown while keeping the nostalgia factor to a minimum. With Hugo, he somehow managed to bridge the gap between lighthearted and serious-minded.
2. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, composed by Alan Silvestri (Walt Disney)
I cannot stop saying enough positive things about Silvestri’s work on this score. The man was an action film icon of mine during my youth, and he brought me full circle with Captain America. Action was the man’s bread and butter back in the day, but as he branched out, he seemed to lose his fire for hardcore thrills. Maybe it was the pairing with patriotic and period theming that reignited his passion for the form. Whatever it was, Cap has effectively erased the bitter flavor of The A-Team and GI Joe from my memory. [Read more of my thoughts on Captain America here.]
1. THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN – PART 1, composed by Carter Burwell (Atlantic)
Go ahead, call me a sellout. But I don’t think Carter Burwell has ever been given his due for his enormous contributions to film music. And the man continues to plow forward as one of the most creative minds in compositional minimalism as well as full-bodied orchestration. While he was probably disqualified for nomination at this year’s Academy Awards for Breaking Dawn – Part 1 because it was anchored heavily to the original Twilight score, his work was no less remarkable. I would go so far as to say that it was actually better than the original, given that, although he laid the original template for the Twilight sound, he was coming back into the fold on the heels of critical heavyweights Alexandre Desplat (with whom the Academy also bears an unspoken beef) and Howard Shore. Burwell fearlessly picked up the baton and ran with it, giving us a romantic score easily on par with Nino Rota’s Romeo & Juliet (which was also unceremoniously snubbed by the Academy in 1969). [Read more of my thoughts on Carter Burwell's Twilight contribution here.]
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