Man To Man
Music Composed By Patrick Doyle
Music Performed By The London Symphony Orchestra
Conducted By James Shearman
Album Produced by Maggie Rodford for Air Edel
MovieScore Media MMS11022
20 Tracks - Running Time: 38:56
Overall rating of 8.5 of 10
Man to Man which was released in 2005 by the great French director Regis Wargnier starring Joseph Fiennes, Kristin Scott-Thomas and Iain Glen. The storry takes place in 187 where Dr. Jamie Dodd (Fiennes) has finally succeeded in capturing two pygmies and brings them to Scotland with the help of Elena Van den Ende (Scott-Thomas), an adventurous woman who sells wild animals to the zoos of Europe.They start examining the pygmy couple from every angle with the help of their Anthropoligeist friends and Jamie gradually discovers that Toko and Likola are just as sensitive and intelligent as any other homo sapiens as his two colleagues strongly reject this idea that they should be treated as intellgent human beings as it is glory they are after not the truth.
Marking his fifth collaboration with Wargnier, Academy Award nominee Patrick Doyle, who this past year scored two major hits in Thor and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Doyle had worked previously with the French director starting with 1992's Indochine, then followed by Un Femme Francaise (The French Woman), East-West and last year's, La Ligne Driote. Ever since his debut score for Kenneth Branagh's Henry V, Doyle's music and style haven't changed all that much. He can be grandiose when he needs to be (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Thor, Carlito's Way), operatic (Hamlet (1996). Mary Shelley's Frankenstein), intimate (Sense and Sensibility, Donnie Brasco), comedic (Bridget Jones' Diary, Exit to Eden), whimsicial and charming (A Little Princess, Nim's Island and Nanny McPhee), and mysterious and suspenseful (Dead Again, Killing Me Softly). There really isn't a genre that Doyle hasn't lent his very verstile and melodic voice to.
The score to Man To Man definitely fits all of these styles in certain ways but overall, this much requested work by the composer practically lives up to the demand and it's a fabulous score that is full of dramatic sensibility as well some some nice bombast to it. It is a score that is full of wonderful thematic material that the music at times feels as if it was for another film other than this one.
"Suite From Man To Man" opens up this album with some of Doyle's most regal and melodic works in sometime with some wonderful elegant thundering brass and percussion and lush strings that give some warmth and romance to the material as well. "Main Titles and The Rapids" follows with a solo flute opening that gives way to some rather percussive and thrilling adventure material with thundering brass and rhythmic percussion beats. "Capsized" continues the adventure material feaured in "The Rapids" until settling to a more tranquil calm with some nice flute solos before a rather triumphant burst of brass caps off the track. The score's more delicate and melodic material featured in the tracks "Abigail's Feeling. Measuring the Pygmies. Baby. The Kidnapping of Likola and The Return of Likola" The "Likola" tracks feature the most lush and triumphant material that is featured in the "Suite" that opens the album and it's a major highlight of this album. The score's more action material per se would be featured in the percussive and harrowing "Pygmy Chase", the brooding yet wonderous "Apes and Mankind" and Hitting Trees", with it's jungle edged percussion. "Monkey Suite" is a classy and elegant sounding track featuring more of a string quartet which will delight fans of classical music and a perfect ending to the album.
Man to Man is easily one of the best releases that MovieScore Media has released and it's a credit to the company's owner, Mikael Carlsson that he released this wonderful score from complete and total obscurity. The album is brief, but it really makes a major impact because sometimes less is definitely more and that definitely means the quality of the music will be much higher. This is also a score that you could say led to the terrific work for Rise of the Planet of the Apes. A solid album all the way!
Man to Man is available to order from directly from http://screenarchives.com
Scottish composer Patrick Doyle needs no further introduction to film music fans, but let’s just try to condense what he has achieved so far since he made his over-night break-through with Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V in 1989: two Oscar nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, the winner of multiple prestigious awards, fruitful collaborations with acclaimed directors such as Kenneth Branagh, Brian de Palma, Mike Newell and Régis Wargnier – the director of Man to Man. MovieScore Media’s tenth entry in the ‘Discovery Collection’ features the proud and epic score from this ‘adventure movie with brains’, composed by Patrick Doyle in his most lyrical, melodic and exciting mood. Exquisit orchestrations, beautifully brought to life by the London Symphony Orchestra, elegant counterpoint (a trademark asset in Doyle’s music) and engaging rhythmic writing makes Man to Man one of the composer’s finest works, crowned by a magnificient main theme! First edition of the CD is limited to 1,000 copies. 1. Suite from "Man to Man" 4:28
2. Main Title and The Rapids 3:18
3. Paying the King 1:30
4. Capsized 2:19
5. Sea Sickness 0:51
6. Abigail's Feeling 1:40
7. Measuring the Pygmies 1:57
8. Pygmy Chase 3:08
9. Hitting Trees 1:43
10. Likola Kills 2:07
11. Alexander's Arrow 0:53
12. The Net 1:00
13. Apes and Mankind 2:37
14. Baby 1:29
15. The Kidnapping of Likola 1:17
16. Alexander Cut 1:14
17. Catching Elena 0:54
18. In the Snow 2:06
19. The Return of Likola 3:00
20. Monkey Waltz 1:33
- Danny Gonzalez
Film Music Examiner NYC
