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I think the percussion score works well to articulate the humour of the film. It's positioning often reflects comic timing, and undercuts emotion in favour of a laugh. The film's capacity to laugh at its hero's troubles was the thing that saved it for me, so this scoring choice felt like apt emphasis.
It does also manage to make the film it's own thing, with a score well outside the usual texture.
As for the diegetic spill issue, that isn't any more vexing than that strange snake charmer that played the Bond theme, or Atonement's umbrella games. This film rams together some techniques we associate with realism (the fluid long takes, anamorphic distortion) with others that speak to an impossible reality (impossible imagery, an internal voice). The purpose of that ramming seems to be to capture reality as it seems to this person - you can't pick the boundary between the real and the imagery so cleanly. You're as confused as he is. The on-screen drummer almost epitomises this.
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Score? I must have seen a different movie, but it is soooo typical that the Golden Globes couldn't wait to nominate what is in essence improvised drumming. Of course, these idiots probably thought the "composer" wrote the music by Rachmaninov, Faure, Tchaikovsky and Mahler. Although it's an interesting hat trick of a movie, I find the blind praise from oh so hip critics baffling. For me, it was interesting for a while then became tedious then somewhat annoying. I liked the actors fine, but in the end, well, it was okay.
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I can't see eye-to-eye with your review, Jon, nor many of the disparaging remarks on this very fun score ("unlistenable?") but I'm happy to see at least six responses on a thread about a clearly overlooked score!
Please explain what makes this improvised drumming a "fun" score or a "score" at all. Seriously. I love improvised drumming as much as the next fellow, but I would not call it a score. The "score" in this film is by Rachmaninov, Mahler, Faure and others of their ilk. I understand the drums and they transition us occasionally from scene to scene nicely. But to nominate the ten minutes of it as best score is, under any circumstances, so nonsensical as to defy credulity. Then again, you are always about this so we know where your love, score-wise, resides.
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Posted: |
Dec 14, 2014 - 12:31 PM
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By: |
Bond1965
(Member)
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I can't see eye-to-eye with your review, Jon, nor many of the disparaging remarks on this very fun score ("unlistenable?") but I'm happy to see at least six responses on a thread about a clearly overlooked score!
Please explain what makes this improvised drumming a "fun" score or a "score" at all. Seriously. I love improvised drumming as much as the next fellow, but I would not call it a score. The "score" in this film is by Rachmaninov, Mahler, Faure and others of their ilk. I understand the drums and they transition us occasionally from scene to scene nicely. But to nominate the ten minutes of it as best score is, under any circumstances, so nonsensical as to defy credulity. Then again, you are always about this so we know where your love, score-wise, resides.
For all the bashing the sound/music mix of INTERSTELLAR got, I wish someone had complained about the freaking drumming in BIRDMAN. By the end I just wanted it to stop. It was unnerving and annoying.
James
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Well yeah, at least it's ineligible for the Oscar. That's a relief.
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Please explain what makes this improvised drumming a "fun" score or a "score" at all. Seriously.
Put quite simply: because I am allowed to have my own tastes and pleasures and opinions of film scoring.
A friend recently discussed many users here being "quite attached [to] a pretty narrow notion of what makes a good score." I couldn't help but agree with him and I think this is one of those opportunities. Bruce, I do like you a lot and have a lot of appreciation for your work, but often I feel like I am being bullied. That is not a perception I wish to have in regards to someone whom I look up to.
Bullying? Do you really want to use that oh so hot buzzword in regards to my post? Really? Do you? I asked you to explain why you think improvised drumming makes a "fun" score or a "score" at all. That's not bullying, and my statement following that is simply true and you agree in your post here without explaining the reasons why you think this even qualifies as a score, this under ten minutes of drumming. I'm glad you appreciate my work, but that has nothing to do with this. So, instead of just having opinions stated without explanations behind them, I'd like to know why you think what you think, other than it's just to your taste. I get that part, I get what you respond to.
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Instead of just having opinions stated without explanations behind them, I'd like to know why you think what you think, other than it's just to your taste. I get that part, I get what you respond to.
OK, no worries. I apologize for inciting my feelings of being bullied. It is truly how I felt.
I just wrote the lengthy explanation you seemed to have been looking for, stepped away from my computer for a time, and came back to find that the miracles of the web browser I am using erased it. So I assumed my thoughts must not be important at all.
Now, has anyone found any new film music discussion forums where users are not constantly patronized for only expressing small enthusiasm for this or that new soundtrack, with a little humor on the side? I am growing weary of Film Score Monthly.
Who exactly is patronizing you? Certainly not me. I was and am genuinely interested in your response and would have liked to read it. I may not agree with your reasons, whatever they may be, but I might get some insight into the reasons why you like what you like.
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Posted: |
Dec 15, 2014 - 7:30 PM
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By: |
nuts_score
(Member)
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Who exactly is patronizing you? Certainly not me. I was and am genuinely interested in your response and would have liked to read it. I may not agree with your reasons, whatever they may be, but I might get some insight into the reasons why you like what you like.
Again, my apologies. I've had a hell of a rough day, came home and read your response and just became conflicted. Often I feel like the old guard around here like to tease and this being a message board sometimes the "all in good fun" notion gets lost in translation. No disrespect towards you, Mr. Kimmel (and THANK YOU THANK YOU for what looks to be a wonderful new release with The Day the Earth Stood Still!!).
My comments on the score weren't complex. I re-iterated my enthusiasm for percussion, especially jazz percussion, and thought, "When was the last time we had a score like this?" I enjoyed the filmmaker's reasoning behind the unusual score in the liner notes, and having seen the film understood it completely. And I also felt like the classical compositions were familiar, and thus welcome not only in the film (which, again the filmmaker discusses their role) but also on the album. I liked the film, but I think there are many other better ones out right now. I like the score, but there are better ones out currently. But I really was tickled with the soundtrack's presence in the film as a character extension -- I found it to be one of my favorite parts of the film. And I have greatly enjoyed listening to the album, as it has even brightened up some dimmer moments in my life.
I think the great "debate" arises over the non-traditional aspect of this. This is not technically a score, as you have noted. Generally we want to look at the "score" as a composition that is material and we can hold in our hands, whereas this is improvisational. Most of my enthusiasm stems from not getting many improvisational soundtracks in modern films. I liked this change of pace.
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Who exactly is patronizing you? Certainly not me. I was and am genuinely interested in your response and would have liked to read it. I may not agree with your reasons, whatever they may be, but I might get some insight into the reasons why you like what you like.
Again, my apologies. I've had a hell of a rough day, came home and read your response and just became conflicted. Often I feel like the old guard around here like to tease and this being a message board sometimes the "all in good fun" notion gets lost in translation. No disrespect towards you, Mr. Kimmel (and THANK YOU THANK YOU for what looks to be a wonderful new release with The Day the Earth Stood Still!!).
My comments on the score weren't complex. I re-iterated my enthusiasm for percussion, especially jazz percussion, and thought, "When was the last time we had a score like this?" I enjoyed the filmmaker's reasoning behind the unusual score in the liner notes, and having seen the film understood it completely. And I also felt like the classical compositions were familiar, and thus welcome not only in the film (which, again the filmmaker discusses their role) but also on the album. I liked the film, but I think there are many other better ones out right now. I like the score, but there are better ones out currently. But I really was tickled with the soundtrack's presence in the film as a character extension -- I found it to be one of my favorite parts of the film. And I have greatly enjoyed listening to the album, as it has even brightened up some dimmer moments in my life.
I think the great "debate" arises over the non-traditional aspect of this. This is not technically a score, as you have noted. Generally we want to look at the "score" as a composition that is material and we can hold in our hands, whereas this is improvisational. Most of my enthusiasm stems from not getting many improvisational soundtracks in modern films. I liked this change of pace.
Nice to read this. I thought the drumming worked fine as a way to get us from one thing to another - wasn't criticizing it, but for me, and it's just me, I cannot call that a score. I didn't love the film, but thought the acting was fun and there were certain scenes that were fun, as well - and as I mentioned, I thought the classical stuff was well chosen (Rachmaninov's second symphony being my favorite symphony ever).
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