Overview of 2014 Scores Part 2 of 3

Link to Part 1

20. Unbroken (Alexandre Desplat)

For this film adaptation of the incredible account of Louis Zamperini, Alexandre Desplat penned a score that, for the most part, favors restraint over bold heroism (at director Angelina Jolie’s request). Desplat’s adroit musicianship still yields choice moments, including the choral beauty of “We Are Here,” the surging strings of “Coming Home,” the driving latter half of “Dead Comrades,” the melancholy, exotic flute in “The Bird’s Farewell,” and the full orchestra’s grandeur in the final cues “”The War is Over” and “Unbroken.” It’s not as distinctive as the best of Desplat’s work, but there’s still much to admire. What’s even more impressive is that this is my least favorite of the five Desplat scores I heard this year.

19. Big Eyes (Danny Elfman)

The most subdued Elfman score for a Tim Burton film, Big Eyes makes use of piano and orchestra in a style somewhat reminiscent of the score to Big Fish. Pleasant, harmonically pleasing tunes abound, though Elfman inevitably introduces moments of dissonance from time to time (most notably in the prickly cue “Walter”) to spice things up. “Margaret” is almost Thomas Newman-esque with its sequence-based phrases for piano and strings. However, Elfman definitely makes the score his own with use of marimba, from the rapidly cascading figures of “Opening” to the more languid pulsations of “End Credits.” There’s no lilting choir or grand themes; the music resembles Elfman’s score to Gus Van Sant’s Restless, sans guitar. But Elfman, even in subdued mode, squeezes in skillful tunes and emotionally effective figures that impress more than the more splashy pyrotechnics of certain other composers’ scores.

18. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (James Newton Howard)

The score to this film (I’m too lazy to spell the whole thing out again) is my favorite of the Hunger Games scores. Right off the bat, “The Mockingjay” introduces the magnificent, swelling strings of the JNH we all know and love (or should, at least). “Incoming Bombers” starts out with a thrusting electronic pulse before choir and a dizzying string figure enter. “Air Raid Drill” boasts spectacular interplay between strings, brass, and choir, repeated figures intensifying and building to an exquisite statement of anguish; a Signs-esque figure (never a bad thing in Howard’s hands) for flute and then full orchestra closes out the cue. And then there’s “The Hanging Tree;” sure, the melody’s great and all, and Jennifer Lawrence’s performance ain’t bad either. But Howard’s stirring orchestral/choral arrangement and embellishment at the end of the cue elevate it to near-sublimity. JNH’s scores for the Hunger Games films keep getting better and better; with any luck, his score to The Hunger Games Part 3 Part 2 will be a real gem.

17. 22 Jump Street (Mark Mothersbaugh)

Mothersbaugh’s catchy, simple, purposely overblown, and just plain awesome theme for the Jump Street movies would feel right at home in a Jerry Bruckheimer action movie. The composer lays on the electronics a little thick in the action scenes (especially in “Girl Fight/Beach Fight”), but not as overbearingly as he did in The Lego Movie. He breaks the theme down to its (very) basic chords as a pop groove in “Schmidt’s Walk of Shame,” and heroic snippets pepper “Infiltrating the Frat House” alongside a deliberately over-serious string ostinato. The rousing “Olympic Hazing Games” could very well play under a real Olympic event, while “Reunited/Spring Break” hypes the theme up into a form suitable for a dance floor (or rave, maybe, but I can’t speak to that as I’ve never been to one). Finally, the “End Credits” treats us to several settings of the theme, starting tenderly before bursting into dubstep and closing with another dance mix variation. The score isn’t very complex, but the theme is utterly irresistible. Play it at a rave and see what happens!

16. Cosmos (Alan Silvestri)

Silvestri treated soundtrack fans to four albums of his material for this miniseries based on Carl Sagan’s groundbreaking book. Few composers can do “big” as well as Silvestri, and the composer fortunately got the chance to write themes of splendor for the aptly named cues “Revelation of Immensity” and “The Staggering Immensity of Time.” The main title and end credits explore the questing main theme while cues such as “The Cosmos Is Yours” and “Once There Was a World” provide further music of an adventurous nature. But it’s not all just grandiose moments from beginning to end (which could be cool, but exhausting). “The Way We Live Now” and “The Pale Blue Dot” are almost melancholy in their beauty. Electronic pulses propel cues such as “4.5 Billion Years Old” and “The Speed of Light,” the former incorporating choir in the final seconds and the latter almost GI Joe-esque with its rock-influenced beats. Apparently, many don’t like Silvestri’s use of electronics, but I find his writing for synths quite entertaining.  The melodies aren’t as rousing as those from Back to the Future or The Mummy Returns, but I for one find a lot to like in these 2.7 hours of music.

15. Penny Dreadful (Abel Korzeniowski)

Korzeniowski’s star continues to rise, and his score to this lurid miniseries proves that last year’s Romeo and Juliet was no fluke. “Demimonde (Main Title)” kicks off the score with churning strings playing an angular theme. However, most of the score (at least on CD) exudes elegant melancholy outside this main title, though cues such as “Asylum” and “Mother of Monsters” provide plenty of dark, brutal moments. The latter half of the main title introduces a gorgeous theme that’s later unleashed in all its glory in the cue “Closer Than Sisters.” The character of Mina gets her own doleful little motif as well, and cues such as “Transgression,” and “Never Say No” exhibit Korzeniowski’s inimitable brand of romantic tragedy. “Transgression” and “Mother of Evil” see the composer delving into sinister writing for dark choir, a style we haven’t really heard from him before. Though Penny Dreadful certainly allows Korzeniowski to branch out beyond the romantic genre at which he excels, he still infuses each and every cue with his own nonpareil style.

14. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (Michael Giacchino)

While Giacchino’s score contains plenty of complex writing, the themes themselves are actually rather simple (though effective). “Level Plaguing Field” introduces the tragic theme for the human race, blossoming from piano to chorus. “Look Who’s Stalking” kicks off the complex side of the score, incorporating odd, Goldsmith-esque percussion and aleatoric voices before the frantic action takes over. “The Great Ape Processional” presents Caesar’s theme, a slow-moving, steadily rising melody that works equally well in delicate and triumphant modes. Finally, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” brings in the most pervasive element of the score: a circular, menacing motif for the warlike side of the apes. In “Enough Monkeying Around,” this ape/war motif receives a massive rendition, while “Primates for Life” sees the Caesar theme reach its glorious apex. “Planet of the End Credits” presents a final, satisfying suite of all the thematic material. The score drags a bit when there’s no action and none of the themes are playing, but Giacchino crafts the elements together with consummate skill, aided by his firm sense of musical drama.

13. The Imitation Game (Alexandre Desplat)

To portray the genius, conflict, and inner emotion of Alan Turing (played by Benedict Cumberbatch), Desplat lays a gorgeous melody for strings over billowing pianos. A more lighthearted, almost playful bridge for flutes (heard in the title track) is quite lovely, though it doesn’t recur too often in the rest of the score. An ethereal ostinato played on a bell-like instrument (or synthesizer) lends an otherworldly quality to cues such as  “Alan” and “Alone with Numbers.” I like the latter half of “Joan,” a subtly churning piece that evokes a sense of quiet yet determined progress. “The Machine Christopher” creates a sound of busy, frenzied activity befitting its track title, while “Farewell to Christopher” strips the piano and strings down to their bare essences. “End of War” features a mournful, seesawing motif that keeps moving relentlessly forward, as if heralding the end of an era (and that just about fills up our “Pretentious Writing” quota for the day). Impressively, Desplat infuses the score with enough variety and development to keep it interesting the whole way through while never losing sight of the human story his music so intelligently supports.

12. Anonymous Rejected Filmscore (John Murphy)

Murphy took musical ideas from a rejected score and fashioned them into a standalone album. It’s very Murphy—that is, the music features lots of thrashing electric guitars, electronics, distorted instruments, and raw emotion built from compositionally straightforward building blocks. The opening track alone,“3:59 AM,” brings all these musical elements together, plus a child’s whisperings. But it’s not all just thrashing; “8mm Dream” has piano, strings, and some distorted instrument playing a lovely melody, while “Dead Ballerina” has hardly an electronic instrument in sight (or within hearing range). “1-2-3-4” contains monumental guitar builds that reminds me of his superb work on the 28 Days/28 Weeks Later films and his contributions to Kick-Ass. “How to Leave Your Body” touches the celestial heights of emotional glory that the composer previously reached in his score to Sunshine (and specifically the “Adagio in D Minor,” used splendidly in one of the most poignant scenes in Kick-Ass). To listen to this music is to hear Murphy unleashed, taking his established style and pushing it to heights unfettered.

11. Planes: Fire and Rescue (Mark Mancina)

I thought that Mancina’s theme for Planes was one of the best film themes of 2014, and he gets to play with it even more in this slightly superior sequel score. The main title track adds a driving string ostinato and bolder percussion, though the theme itself is played in a slightly more staccato manner. The action music is lengthier, better developed, and more exciting than in the previous installment; any cue with “Fire” in its name will suffice as an example of the invigorating music Mancina can cook up.  Heroic brass writing, swirling string runs, woodwind motifs, and judicious use of percussion permeate the action music throughout. “Training Dusty” has a wonderful feel, evoking the majesty of nature and introducing a power anthem that reaches its zenith in the climactic cues “Fire Heroes” and “Rescue Harvey & Winnie,” the latter adding choir to the mix. One of my favorite action moments occurs about a minute into “Lightning Storm Fire,” when a massive, sensational fanfare erupts out of the orchestra. The one downside of this score is its temp-track influences; there’s a bit of Elfman’s Batman in “Fire!” and more than a bit of Chicken Run in a theme introduced in “An All New Mayday” (the melody is different, but the tuba and snare drum backing is almost identical.) Nevertheless, this thrilling score proves that Mancina is still one of the best composers to emerge from Hans Zimmer’s studio.