Oscars 2012: Best Original Score

Note: This is my personal ranking, listed in order from best to worst, with #1 being my favorite. Prediction for the actual winner is in orange.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

1. THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN

2. TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

3. THE ARTIST

4. HUGO

5. WAR HORSE

 

Missing: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Let’s start with what is certain not to win. And for once that film is Hugo. It’s not that two-time winner Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings) doesn’t charmingly play off of the waltz with clockwork themes and warm, puzzling tones, it’s simply that his is obviously not the most distinguished of the nominees.

Despite seven nominations this year for the International Film Music Critics Association Awards and five Oscar wins and forty-five nominations, John Williams will of course not win for either of his nominated films. The man who brought us the iconic music of Jaws and Star Wars appeared to be as bored with Spielberg’s WWI epic as we were, overdoing it with the sweeping, soaring variety of score that relied too heavily on folksy flutes and battle-like bombast: War Horse‘s music was as predictable and emotionally manipulative as its story and direction. (Which, of course, makes Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross‘s snub for their fantastic score for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo even harder to take.)

But The Adventures of Tintin is an entirely different story. It appears that both Stevie and John let go of the pretensions for this collaboration and simply decided to have fun. Jaunty and playful, full of clarinet and piano solos, this energetic score sounds like the adventurous detective story it is, and is wonderfully reminiscent of Williams’s work on the Indiana Jones series (ditto for Spielberg’s feisty direction). The opening animation and musical theme is utterly delightful.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is moody, cerebral and like the main character George Smiley, possesses complex layering, as though hidden agendas lurk beneath those  jazzier tones of the oboes and trumpets. Two-time nominee Alberto Iglesias  (The Constant Gardner, The Kite Runner) adds an aural depth to the proceedings that dramatically increases the intrigue (or offers the only intrigue if you, like me, found the film a snooze-fest), pushing him into a solid position to spoil the The Artist‘s evening.

The Artist, it appears, is everyone’s “clear winner,” though I’m not convinced it should be. Sure, it’s a silent film, necessitating that Ludovic Bource’s score speak for the characters, and it’s true that it’s totally delightful and charming — a loving homage to the Hollywood scores of yore. But my cynical self says that this sparkling score, like the film itself, is just a bit too gimmicky. The Academy, of course, will say the opposite.

Oscars 2011: Best Original Score

Last minute change (2/27/11, 3:56 pm EST):

My prediction  is that
The King’s Speech will be the winner.

Note: My personal rankings are listed in order from best to worst, with #1 being my favorite, while predictions for the actual winners will be in orange.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

1. The Social Network
Trent Reznor + Atticus Ross

2. 127 Hours
A.R. Rahman

3. The King’s Speech
Alexandre Desplat

4. Inception
Hans Zimmer

5. How to Train Your Dragon
John Powell

Missing: Black Swan (Clint Mansell)

A.R. Rahman is newly anointed Academy favorite with his perfectly scored Slumdog Millionaire, and he’s got a great shot at taking home another Oscar this year for the unique musical backdrop he dreamt up for 127 Hours. But “backdrop” isn’t the right word for Rahman’s work , as his music never takes a back seat to any film — and luckily in his case, that isn’t nearly a bad thing. You always know immediately when you’re watching a Rahman-scored work: his musicalization of emotion is so keen, it’s like having another character constantly present, as he weaves seamlessly in and out of each scene. Like the best of sidekicks, he  punches up the intensity, interjecting palpably hot tension one moment, and calming, cooling tones the next. His is one of our most unique and fascinating voices in film scoring, and he’s sure to take home the statue for his uncanny ability to take us into the depths of desperation and then soar above it all in 127 Hours.

But Rahman had better watch his back, because Alexandre Desplat’s work is haunting, gorgeous and befitting of its lush and royal subjects, and truly one of the most accomplished aspects of The King’s Speech. It has more than a decent shot of winning this thing — especially since this is Desplat’s fourth nomination and he hasn’t taken home a gold guy yet. Zimmer, as always, provides his usual strong (and a dark, pounding intensity with his epic) work in Inception, but while he’s been nominated numerous times, he’s only won once (The Lion King), and it doesn’t look like his work here will win him his second statue. Powell’s score for How to Train Your Dragon, while nice, is a bit too animated-feature-generic to garner much attention.

But what if — WHAT IF —  the dark horse, The Social Network, took home the Oscar? How utterly fabulous would that be? The score is mesmerizing (could I use any more italics?), least of all because it’s composed by Nine Inch Nails’s Trent Reznor (with Atticus Ross’s help). Let’s get this man to compose a musical (seriously), because his ability to underscore seemingly innocuous, even gently comforting motifs with dark, dark undercurrents of swiftly-building and frightening tension that is at first barely there, but then engulfs not only your ears but your entire being, perfectly parallels the the idea of connection and all its hidden depths of deception. The score  is brilliant. We all over-and-misuse that word, but in this case, I’m not. The Social Network‘s score  is astonishing in its accomplishment.

[The fact that Black Swan was determined ineligible because it wasn't "original enough" is just plain petty. If Mansell hadn't adapted  as much of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake as he did, the film would be the lesser for it -- not nearly as tense, uncomfortable, overwhelming, crazy, beautiful, paranoid.... as it is, and as it should be. Shame on you, Academy. Shame.]

Post-Oscar Wrap-up: 2010

With only a few minor surprises last night — Precious‘s winning Best Adapted Screenplay (excuse me?) and The Hurt Locker sweeping those sound awards (Sorry, Avatar!) – everything else went off according to plan. Hooray for Hollywood! Let’s break down the evening’s festivities, shall we?

THE TALLY

Which films earned the most — and the least — little gold men.

6
THE HURT LOCKER

3
AVATAR

2
PRECIOUS , CRAZY HEART, UP

1
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, THE BLIND SIDE, THE YOUNG VICTORIA, STAR TREK

0
UP IN THE AIR, A SERIOUS MAN, AN EDUCATION, THE LAST STATION, INVICTUS, A SINGLE MAN, THE MESSENGER, JULIE & JULIA,  THE LOVELY BONES, NINE, THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS, DISTRICT 9, FANTASTIC MR. FOX, CORALINE, THE SECRET OF KELLS, THE PRINCESS & THE FROG

Since the awards failed to excite, let’s check out what did manage to thrill / appall us. And by ‘us’ I mean me.

HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Sandy‘s speech (adorable). And that dress (gorgeous Marchesa).
Also: turning to hug Meryl, apparently changes her mind and does a 180, leaving The Streep with empty, outstretched arms (priceless).

2. Ben Stiller, dressed as an Avatar despite the fact that Avatar was not nominated for Best Makeup (genius). Also brilliant: when plaintively states, “I want to plug in my tail.”

3. Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin’s paranormal activity. Totes brills, and the only amusing moment the uber-awkward hosting duo offers all night.

4. The lovely John Hughes tribute:

When you grow up, your heart dies.
So, who cares?
I care.

5. The mysteriously included horror film tribute. Not sure why it was there, but sure glad it was.
Jaws! The Exorcist! Nightmare on Elm Street! Psycho! Nosferatu! Twilight! – wait, what?

5. Kathryn Bigelow becomes the first woman to win Best Director. Too bad cameras fail to catch ex James “I’m king of the world!” Cameron’s glower as she accepts her golden guy.

6. Fantastically inspired, the League of Extraordinary Dancers interprets each of the nominated scores. It felt like the Tony Awards. But in the best possible way.

Skip the dreadful Zimmer score and go straight to the delightful Fantastic Mr. Fox and Up sequences.

LOWLIGHTS (slash highlights):

1.Neil Patrick Harris’ opening song and dance was totally awkward and unfunny. We love you NPH, but no. Just no.

2. Charlize Theron’s cinnabons.

2. Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin “banter” as the most painfully torpid and unfunny co-hosts ever by simply insulting everyone in the room. It was like that year Chris Rock hosted. Except not funny.

3. George Clooney’s sourpuss mug throughout the entire ceremony. Why so angry, George? Was it part of the dreadfully unamusing act? Or did you finally realize that Up in the Air just isn’t very good?

4. Christopher Plummer, who appeared in three of this year’s nominated films, still has no Oscar to call his own (no other actor this year appeared in more than one nominated film). Shame on you, Academy. Shame. On. You.

5. Miley Cyrus’s posture. We realize your boobs will pop out of that golden gown if you stand up straight, but perhaps you’re not a size 0 after all. Just sayin’.

6. James Cameron’s sloppy look: in Joan Rivers’s immortal words, “He looks like a lesbian.”
There’s no better words to end the night with. Thanks, Joanie.

I had a blast seeing all the nominees this year — 43 features and 15 shorts in all. Thanks for reading. Until next year!

Next Up: The Tony Awards

Oscars 2010: Sound + Score

The sound categories comprise the most forgettable and indiscernible cinematic aspects for me. How easy it is to take for granted those complex and myriad ways in which a film’s world is created and heightened through sound! Listening specifically for the aural effects, as I did this morning while watching Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, is an overwhelming and even humbling experience; sound designers are easily the most underappreciated in the industry, and yet how vital they are to the success of any given film. That I am not acutely aware of their work as I watch a film is a merit, not a discredit, to their oftentimes subtle artistry.  With this in mind, I offer you my picks and predictions for all the sound-related categories.

[Note: My personal rankings are listed in order from best to worst, with #1 being my favorite, while predictions for the actual winners will be in orange.]

SOUND EDITING
(aural effects)

1. Avatar
2. Hurt Locker
3. Star Trek
4. Inglourious Basterds
5. Up

Even I have to admit that Avatar’s special effects, including the aural effects, are superlative. Each sound in the forests of Pandora is detailed and precise: the fluttering of the butterfly-like creatures, the whispering of the wind rustling through the trees, the soothing tones of a waterfall; the computerized ticks of futuristic technology are just an added bonus on top of the superb aural experience. Basterds’s creepily audible scalpings and Star Trek‘s infernal “blips” and laser-like shivers just don’t come anywhere close to the design of Avatar.

SOUND MIXING
(a film’s overall sound)

1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
2. Avatar
3. The Hurt Locker
4. Star Trek
5.  Inglourious Basterds

While Avatar remains a cut above the rest, I can’t help but lean towards the futuristic techie sounds that infiltrate and generate the world of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. That film is its sound–along with those fabulously creative CGIed robots, of course – and without it, the incessant and intensely choreographed action would fall completely flat. Despite these accomplishments, one can’t overlook how the dessert winds whip violently through Iraqi towns that bustle with energy one moment only to abruptly silence the next; how a single helicopter hovers ominously overhead; or, most significantly, how tension mounts with inevitable explosions or releases cathartically with the audible defusings of bomb after bomb.  While The Hurt Locker’s sound design lacks the flashiness of its co-nominees, that does not make its attention to detail less accomplished – it simply makes me want to root for its win all the more.

ORIGINAL SONG

1. “The Wear Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” (Crazy Heart)
2. “Loin de Paname” (Paris 36)
3. “Almost There” (The Princess and the Frog)
4. “Down in New Orleans” (The Princess and the Frog)
5. “Take It All” (Nine)

Singer and Writer Ryan Bingham performs “The Weary Kind”

This ain’t no place for the weary kind / This ain’t no place to lose your mind / This ain’t no place to fall behind /
Pick up crazy heart and give it one more try

I’ve never cared much for country music. I can’t ever seem to get past the nasal twang that overwhelms most “country music” today; and so, admittedly, I miss some of the greatest musical storytelling there is, and some of the most startlingly emotionally honest lyrics out there. While it’s not surprising that I found the Crazy Heart heartbreakingly beautiful, it is surprising that I found myself downloading the entire soundtrack, including the Oscar-nominated (and sure winner), “The Weary Kind.” If you also saw the film, you know that none of the other nominated songs come anywhere near encompassing the entire feel and story of their respective films; “The Weary Kind” completely encompasses the, yes, weariness and heartbreak and even the faint glimmer of optimism of Jeff Bridge’s lonely yet stalwart Bad Blake. While “Loin de Paname” adequately offers the cabaret feel of 1930s Paris (though perhaps reminds one a bit too much of Edith Piaf), Randy Newman’s jazzy Nawlins-inspired tunes are entirely forgettable (causing us to long for the Disney heydays of Menken and Ashmen) and Maury Yeston’s indistinguishable “Take It All” simply reminds us of the utter fiasco that was the horrible cinematic adaptation of his unimpressive stage musical, Nine.  Truth be told, the only nominee that doesn’t make me weary while listening is “The Weary Kind.”

ORIGINAL SCORE

1. Up
2. Sherlock Holmes
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox
4. The Hurt Locker
5. Avatar

Michael Giacchino’s wins big for Up, incorporating delightfully breezy tones with music that soars as high as the characters themselves, lightly transporting us through the clouds and under the sun as Carl and Russell adventure together. Hans Zimmer’s Holmes score is typically accomplished and intensely heart-pounding, Fox’s tunes are whimsically jaunty wonderfully reflecting the film’s own clever humor, and The Hurt Locker’s score gets the job done, but none of these scores encompass the feel of their respective films as fully and whole-heartedly as Giacchino accomplishes with Up. (And Horner’s work on Avatar is just plain terrible)

Up Next: Visual Design (costumes, make-up, art direction)