I just read on JWFAN that my favourite piece of the score (the electronic, undulating figure thingie I mentioned earlier), was -- in fact -- an existing piece by Nils Frahm:
I just read on JWFAN that my favourite piece of the score (the electronic, undulating figure thingie I mentioned earlier), was -- in fact -- an existing piece by Nils Frahm:
With the deepest respect, Thor, I find it depressing that this piece could anyone's favorite anything.
(Very mild spoilers ahead). I don’t want to sound too negative here, but I thought the film didn’t have much to say unfortunately. Whatever deep existentialistic messages there are (and I was hoping for some) I didn’t get them. It begins pretty strong as a somewhat version of Apocalypse Now in space and ends up as a big piece of meaningless, albeit beautiful, imagery.
To me it felt like a lot of wasted potential, since I found the reality it created (man establishing bases on the Moon and Mars) far more interesting than the story itself. The latter could’ve been a bit more straight forward. I don’t understand the need from Hollywood to integrate twists in every movie these days. And while the audience is being bombarded with seemingly endless shots of spectacular images, every scene involving the slightest bit of character building is paced very quickly, or worse, presented in inter-cuts to move the little bit of story that there is forward as fast as possible.
Again, I’m not after trashing the film. I just thought it could’ve been so much more. Still, the absolutely captivating first hour is worth the price of admission. I’d recommend it just for that and the stunning imagery. Just don’t expect it to be anything more than that.
The score has some nice ambient and electronic rhythms (I’m assuming those are Richter’s work) during the main titles and in a few action scenes but overall I found it generic and as bland as the movie itself.
And you don't recognize you're demonstrating my point?
Without advanced knowledge Balfe was brought in during post, which reporter or critic, having skimmed the press package they received—ya know the one that only credits Richter with the music—is going to bother to scroll down, down, down, down, down down, till just after the "Location Management" section on the film's IMDb "Full Cast and Crew" page to find not only Balfe, but 3 other nobodies listed there with an "additional music" credit?
But that's not a reflection on IMDb and thus moots your point; IMDb is only a credit place. This is a reflection on the reviewer who doesn't do their due diligence. But aren't we way passed used to this?
But that's not a reflection on IMDb and thus moots your point; IMDb is only a credit place. This is a reflection on the reviewer who doesn't do their due diligence.
That's called moving the goalposts.
I was responding directly to Joan's query: "I wonder if reviewers or critics realize that Balfe also was a composer for this movie?", not the weighted hierarchy of crew credits on a particular IMDb page, or the presumed "diligence" you believe the average film reviewer or film critic should be practicing.
And why would they?
Without due cause or personal interest, there's no incentive to wade through a crew list for additional composers when both the press package they received and the most popular film reference site on the planet credits Richter "above the fold"? Certainly not for any 5-10 minute video review or any 500 word film critique.
Balfe's credit serves no public interest. /s
And, no, you're not the "public." You're a nerd—just like the rest of us here.
Actually, that's not what that was called. Two separate points, both I addressed separately.
I was responding directly to Joan's query: "I wonder if reviewers or critics realize that Balfe also was a composer for this movie?", not the weighted hierarchy of crew credits on a particular IMDb page, or the presumed "diligence" you believe the average film reviewer or film critic should be practicing.
And why would they?
Some people, believe it or not, do care. Some don't, obviously. And no -- since Balfe didn't take over the film and only some of the score he recorded was sued, he's just a additional contributor, however poor that may describe what he did.
Without due cause or personal interest, there's no incentive to wade through a crew list for additional composers when both the press package they received and the most popular film reference site on the planet credits Richter "above the fold"? Certainly not for any 5-10 minute video review or any 500 word film critique.
There's also no incentive to even mention who scored the film -- plenty of reviews out there, yet some reviewers do. It's all about the individual and how much they care about the accuracy of their work.
Balfe's credit serves no public interest. /s
Neither does the film, quite frankly! :-)
And, no, you're not the "public." You're a nerd—just like the rest of us here.
No, we're ALL the public. You're looking at it through the prism of a fellow board member. But in the end, we are all the public. There is no separate group that is the "public".
Tommy Lee Jones was really good in this as was Pitt. I had no idea Sutherland was in it until he showed up and it brought a huge smile to my face, like seeing a long lost friend. Great performances all around.
Tommy Lee Jones was really good in this as was Pitt.
Yes. I love how they used a still image of Jones from SPACE COWBOYS for his "old picture". And with Sutherland in it too, it was a small SPACE COWBOYS reunion.
Tommy Lee Jones was really good in this as was Pitt.
Yes. I love how they used a still image of Jones from SPACE COWBOYS for his "old picture". And with Sutherland in it too, it was a small SPACE COWBOYS reunion.
Totally. And I also believe that they could be related. Young TLJ kind resembles Pitt in a way.
(Very mild spoilers ahead). I don’t want to sound too negative here, but I thought the film didn’t have much to say unfortunately. Whatever deep existentialistic messages there are (and I was hoping for some) I didn’t get them. It begins pretty strong as a somewhat version of Apocalypse Now in space and ends up as a big piece of meaningless, albeit beautiful, imagery.
To me it felt like a lot of wasted potential, since I found the reality it created (man establishing bases on the Moon and Mars) far more interesting than the story itself. The latter could’ve been a bit more straight forward. I don’t understand the need from Hollywood to integrate twists in every movie these days. And while the audience is being bombarded with seemingly endless shots of spectacular images, every scene involving the slightest bit of character building is paced very quickly, or worse, presented in inter-cuts to move the little bit of story that there is forward as fast as possible.
Again, I’m not after trashing the film. I just thought it could’ve been so much more. Still, the absolutely captivating first hour is worth the price of admission. I’d recommend it just for that and the stunning imagery. Just don’t expect it to be anything more than that.
The score has some nice ambient and electronic rhythms (I’m assuming those are Richter’s work) during the main titles and in a few action scenes but overall I found it generic and as bland as the movie itself.
Yes, it is a pretty over praised film at this point, it is half of a good movie, the biggest issue is the endless and pointless voiceover, it drains the life and mystery out of the entire film. It has some good qualities, but it is just not enough of a completely good film to merit the rather over the top praise the critics gave it.
I thought it was an excellent film but then I'm a fan of James Gray who is an underrated director. And Brad Pitt gave one of his best performances ever. The music however was meh. It was just...there. Richter is a bit of a hit or miss with me but I really thought he would knock this one out of the park. The movie would have benefited from a really good score. But it seems people today (directors and critics) are afraid of using (real) music.
Tommy Lee Jones was really good in this as was Pitt.
Yes. I love how they used a still image of Jones from SPACE COWBOYS for his "old picture". And with Sutherland in it too, it was a small SPACE COWBOYS reunion.
and Loren Dean
the film must be very deep and serious cause all the time we hear Pitt's voice-over telling us how deep and serious all this voyage is
I loved Lyv Tyler's ghost from the past ARMAGGEDON a-la-Malick cameo
In this profound and moving film (SPOILER ALERT) Pitt clambers onto a rocket as it's about to launch and manages to break in from the outside as the rocket is lifting off and then deals with the three inconvenient astronauts by doing nothing, really, as all three of them somehow manage to kill themselves in the space of one minute.
I won't even mention the Saturn's rings scene or the poorly resolved McGuffin of the electro-magnetic pulses.
This sounds like every other recent sci-fi film - Interstellar and that ilk - just taking things from each. If I never hear another ponderous deep-throated voiceover telling me everything, it will be too soon. You want to know how to write proper narration that actually serves a point, try Billy Wilder.
As to the music, every few years we get a new flavor like Max Richter. And obviously some of this score is already existing pieces by other composers whose music was used on the temp-track. It's idiocy, frankly, and what makes every one of these films sound the same. And Thor, dearest, you went in KNOWING you would love it, KNOWING you would love the music before hearing a single note. We all get this, believe me.
This sounds like every other recent sci-fi film - Interstellar and that ilk - just taking things from each. If I never hear another ponderous deep-throated voiceover telling me everything, it will be too soon. You want to know how to write proper narration that actually serves a point, try Billy Wilder.
As to the music, every few years we get a new flavor like Max Richter. And obviously some of this score is already existing pieces by other composers whose music was used on the temp-track. It's idiocy, frankly, and what makes every one of these films sound the same. And Thor, dearest, you went in KNOWING you would love it, KNOWING you would love the music before hearing a single note. We all get this, believe me.
Spot on, the voice over in Ad Astra is a cataclysmic error, far ore serious and damaging than the forced voice over in the original cut of Bladerunner. And Thor loves to be the champion of middling efforts that are worthy of criticism, or outright despise. Thor grades many a film as "excellent" that are, at best 1 or two stars, the same with the music, not because it is good, but precisely because it is NOT good or respected, therefore, he must do this thing.
In this profound and moving film (SPOILER ALERT) Pitt clambers onto a rocket as it's about to launch and manages to break in from the outside as the rocket is lifting off and then deals with the three inconvenient astronauts by doing nothing, really, as all three of them somehow manage to kill themselves in the space of one minute.
I won't even mention the Saturn's rings scene or the poorly resolved McGuffin of the electro-magnetic pulses.
The scene where the crew on the rocket violently engage Brad Pitt, damaging important equipment during the launch, is one the stupidest scenes in movies I can recently recall. It is spectacularly dumb, it is remarkable they left this garbage in.
This sounds like every other recent sci-fi film - Interstellar and that ilk - just taking things from each. If I never hear another ponderous deep-throated voiceover telling me everything, it will be too soon. You want to know how to write proper narration that actually serves a point, try Billy Wilder.
As to the music, every few years we get a new flavor like Max Richter. And obviously some of this score is already existing pieces by other composers whose music was used on the temp-track. It's idiocy, frankly, and what makes every one of these films sound the same. And Thor, dearest, you went in KNOWING you would love it, KNOWING you would love the music before hearing a single note. We all get this, believe me.
Ha, ha! Not KNOWING, necessarily, but according to what I had heard in advance; definitely with receptors open to appreciation. My enthusiasm was also confirmed after the second viewing.
