The Underdog Awards
Music Category
(Best Score and Best Soundtrack)
Before I dive right
in, let me first make a slight edit. In my rush to put out the Underdog Awards,
I forgot to really analyze a lot of my nominees especially the music section
which I am weak at judging. As such I was unable to really decide whether a few
films really deserved their nomination in these sections.
Specifically
speaking of the soundtrack and the difference it has to the background score.
See the soundtrack can be the overall collection of sound elements such as
dialogue, songs and score in a film. Or it can simply be the licensed music
used within a film.
Where as the score
is an instrumental piece created for the benefit of producing the right
atmosphere of a film.
In favor I thus
removed both Only Lovers Left Alive and Inherent Vice from the soundtrack,
despite them having licensed music. I felt however the Begin Again and The
Guest were better for it, with some music I could personally get behind and
gave feel to their own severely underrated films.
So anyways, let's
just move on and here goes...
Underdog Award for Best Soundtrack
In this case; Best
Soundtrack relates to the best set of created or licensed music for a film.
This year had some really funky soundtracks and some terrific songs. I mean for
months nobody could get over the 'Everything is Awesome' fever.
Selma had a great
soundtrack for a period film, just on the basis of 'Glory' by Common and John
Legend.
The soundtrack of
Boyhood seeped into a pop culture lexicon while transforming itself in the
twelve years depending on the youth choice and popularity of each time.
Anyways here's some
honorable before we dive deep,
Honorable Mentions:
Inherent Vice and Only Lovers Left Alive (good music, not my thing; better
scores), Hellion, This is Where I Leave
You, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Dear White People, Palo Alto, Blue
Ruin, Get On Up, Jersey Boys, Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Lego Movie and
Skeleton Twins
And the nominees
are...
The Guardians of The Galaxy
(Hooked on A Feeling by Blue Swede, Go All the Way by Raspberries, Spirit in The Sky by Norman Greenbaum, Moonage Daydream by David Bowie, Fooled Around and Fell in Love by Elvin
Bishop, I'm not in Love by 10cc, I want you back by Jackson 5, Come and Get Your Love by Redbone, Cherry Bomb by The Runaways, Escape by Rupert Holmes, O-o-oh Child by Five Stairsteps and Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye
and Tammi Terell)
Featuring a vast
array of popular and catchy music from the 70's and 80's, the music in Marvel's
latest blockbuster defines its lead character with aplomb and keeps the viewer
moving along with this wacky, fun space ride.
The music and the
walkman symbolize Peter Quill's last connection to back home. Yet it's also
fun. 'Hooked on A Feeling' being all the rage for the promotion of the film and
'O-o-oh Child' forming the basis of the crux of the climax, and the most
hilarious moment in the film. 'Aint no Mountain High Enough' ending the film on
an energetic high.
At the end of the
day, this fun, fantastic and pop culture entwined music hits you right in the
heart and keeps the audience tethered to Quill's humanity and the Guardians
heroism.
The Guest
(Haunted when the Minutes Drag by Love and Rockets, Hourglass by SURVIVE, Anthonio by Annie, The Magician by Mike Simonetti, Masquerade by Clan of Xymox, Omniverse by SURVIVE, Because I Love You by Stevie B, Storm Column by Gatekeeper, A Day by Clan of Xymox, Emma by The Sisters of Mercy, Obsidian by Gatekeeper and Cry in the Wind by Clan of Xymox)
As many have put it;
Adam Wingard's The Guest is Terminator meets Halloween. With that in mind, the
tunes of the film enthrall you in a fearsome goth vibe with 80's electric
music. The beats just strike like thunder across a multitude of scenes from
those that define the pop culture vibe of the youth in Alabama, to the darkest
recesses of the feature where David resides and strikes from.
There's a dream like
flow to the music, that hits at the highest points and mesmerizes the listener
and viewer keeping them encapsulated in this wacky and mysterious world. It
matches the often neon-like color palette that much of the latter part of the hard
hitting climax sets itself in.
Electrifying you
sense in each moment, is a soundtrack that hasn't been as zingy and lively
since Drive.
Frank
(Jon's Crap Songs by Domhnall Gleeson, Ginger Crouton by Michael Fassbender, The Soronprfbs and Stephen Rennicks, Welcome To Vetno by Stephen Rennicks, Aviary by The Soronprfbs, Lone Standing Tuft by Michael Fassbender, Walking Down The Street by Domhnall Gleeson, Be Still by Scoot McNairy, The La La La Song by Domhnall Gleeson, Idiot Shriek by Stephen Rennicks, Jon's Song by Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson and Stephen Rennicks, Secure the Galactic Parameter by Michael Fassbender, The Soronprfbs and Stephen Rennicks, Frank's Most Likeable Song Ever by Michael Fassbender and Stephen Rennicks, #findfrank by Stephen Rennicks, Lighthouse Keeper by Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Soronprfbs and Stephen Rennicks and I Love You All by Michael Fassbender, The Soronprfbs and Stephen Rennicks)
Based around the
most quirkiest band you will ever see; Frank Sidebottom and The Soronprfbs.
Frank's music is basically all the weird but artistic work that the band makes
for their own inner creative satisfaction rather than to just get their name
out there. Easily reflecting the characters own unity, oddity, creativity and
nicety.
The soundtrack is
composed by Stephen Rennicks and sung by much of the films own cast, adding a
nice authenticity to the music. At the centerpiece is the genuine tear jerker
sung wonderfully by Michael Fassbender known as 'I Love You All'. It is the
song that defines this bands work ethic, they love being together and making
music together for each other. Franks return to the fold coming at the climatic
end, providing a high unlike anything else.
Even the other music
flows neatly into the narrative. Including the opening 'Jons Crap Songs' that
essentially design the lead character Jon as a somewhat nervous, confused and
dreaming wreck. His music becoming a focal point for understanding that he doesn't
fit with a bunch of wonderful misfits, the main arc of the script.
In Frank each piece
holds weight despite not being traditional music or a soundtrack. It's why it
fits so well, cause it works like The Soronprfbs and well is The Soronprfbs;
quirky, fun, for oneself who cares what the world thinks.
Mommy
In Mommy, the trio
of lead characters love for Celine Dion is exemplified in one of its best and
fun scenes. The 'On ne change pas' scene giving us the moment to believe in
quiet neighbor Kyla's smooth and friendly transition into the lives of this odd
erratic couple of mother and son.
It's not the only
music that shines however, in this eclectic collection of 90's songs. In
'Wonderwall' we find the changes Kyla brings to the equation, forcing both Die
and Steve to try and change for the better and one to reflect on Steve's own
spirited carefree self.
Ludovico Einaudi's
'Experience' presenting such dream like music, that it distracts us from how
false Die's fantasy of Steve's stable life is, we believe it because the music
makes us. The music enthralling us such, that it allows the gut punching finale
to hit one that much worse.
In Mommy, each piece
of music Xavier Dolan chooses makes sense. It adds a light touch and breeziness
to proceedings, but hides untold depths as well.
Begin Again
(Lost Stars by Adam Levine/Keira Knightley, Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home by Keira Knightley, No one Else Like You by Adam Levine, A Higher Place by Adam Levine, Like A Fool by Keira Knightley and Roof Top Mix by Keira Knightley and Hailee Steinfeld)
Last year it was
'Please Mr. Kennedy', this year the Academy missed out on regarding one of the
best original songs you'll hear in the past year; none other than 'Lost Stars'
as sung by Keira Knightley. Knightley's gorgeous rendition of the music would be
the only reason to nominate this whole soundtrack.
Then factor in some
great work from the likes of Gregg Alexander, Nick Lashley, Rick Nowels, Nick
Southwood and performed wonderfully by Adam Levine and you've got music that
makes the movie. One of the best of course being the duet by Hailee Steinfeld and
Knightley known as the 'Roof Top Mix'. Adding wonders in terms of character,
just like director John Carney did years ago in 'Once'.
The feel good factor
in the music is there and just listening to 'Lost Stars' will get you hooked.
This is an album worth cherishing.
And the Winner is...
Frank!
Underdog Award for Best Original Score
The background score
of a film sets the mood and tone that the director eventually wants to convey.
Some of the best scores fit perfectly in tune with the idea of the film, or can
also be a great juxtaposing character creating in form conflicts.
This year's musical
scores have been some of the most fantastic. Just sifting through the Oscar
nominees, can bring chills for how each musical piece is such a perfect
companion to its overall cinematic piece.
Regulars like Hans
Zimmer and Alexandre Desplat dominated that circuit, with Desplat finally
winning the big one for his soft, sweet and wacky work in The Grand Budapest
Hotel.
But right now let's
take a look at the Underdogs of this game from last year (including the
Underdog of Underdogs)
Honorable Mentions:
The Babadook, The Double, Clouds of Sils Maria, The Drop, A Most Violent Year,
Godzilla, Still Alice, Blue Ruin, Fury and The Rover
Federale for A Girl
Walks Home Alone At Night
With a genre bending
structure, Anna Lily Amirpour's directorial debut was bound to feature a wide
variety of genre of scores. At the top of the list is a typically western tune
produced by the band Federale that sets the outlaw western mood, breathing character
into the films emptiest frames and the darkest recesses of the city.
Beyond that there's
a terrific mix of hypnotic rock ballads and trance scores that provide the film
with the spark of life it needs in at times juxtaposing the dark blacks and
whites on screen. It's the blend however that is most perfect, as neither part
of the score feels separate from the other and share a sensation of being the
narrative itself.
Josef Van Wissem for
Only Lovers Left Alive
Amirpour was
influenced by the likes of Jim Jarmusch, and with her inclination to make the
music the back bone of her narrative, there's no doubt Jarmusch is a master at
doing that too.
Working with
frequent collaborator, Dutch composer Josef Van Wissem; they get a score that
embodies the sort of lyrical, poetic, artistic and ancient world Eve and Adam
come from and the ages they've lived through.
With Adam settled
into a life of a recluse musician, it's no wonder that Jarmusch gets his
composer to pull out old tricks; an array of vintage records that suits the man
historical inclination towards the arts of old rather than the mimicry from the
new. As for Eve living in Tangerines, we get the highlights of Arabian flavored
tones that are trumped especially towards the finale as Adam is mesmerizes by
the singing of a local.
That fascinatingly
cultural stand the music plays on, entwines itself with the artistic decay that
Eve and Adam feel underneath-yet in a Jarmusch moody and dull witty way come to
accept-in the film.
Jonny Greenwood for
Inherent Vice
PTA has always had a
great knack for musical scores. He embraced this early on, with the wonderful
works that just seeped in and out of his darkly humorous Boogie Nights,
especially during key montage sequences.
With his latest, he
once again works in perfect sync with Radiohead member Jonny Greenwood, who has
helped bring that old touch into his latter period setting works.
The deeply ingrained
romantic track of the film influence Greenwood's work here. A constant soft
touch to the music, that slows down the films energy to the right base allowing
for that slow moving trippy feel to everything. It's what gives the whole score
the matching vibe with the convoluted plot and keeps the audience however
permanently focused on proceedings and heavy dialogue, thanks to its
wonderfully matched subtlety.
Wavering off,
Greenwood hits the right notes out of his element when he presents a clear cut
wonderful dichotomy. Harsher rock sounds invade the smoothness, producing the
once again hazy effect, giving Vice some much needed energy.
Mica Levi for Under
The Skin
Eerie and hauntingly
atmospheric, Mica Levi's score for this enchanting alien fare is what provides
this cinematic beauty with an equally apt chilling vibe. It's what paints the
picture of the hollow shells the film rides on, a sense of mystic and dread that
pervades throughout.
The score constantly
builds a sense of tension, that grasps the viewer by the neck never releasing
for one second. It's breathlessly magnificent, matching the visuals toe to toe.
Levi shows a restraint but pulls no punches, in diving through layers of the
music in revealing in character and reveling in the features lead performance.
Each string and beat
providing the audience with a sense of thrill, just keeps one's ears alert and
eyes wide open.
James Newton Howard
for Nightcrawler
It's as cliché as it
can get for the genre, but Howard's latest work keeps the thrills coming and
that's all that matters. As riveting as each piece of the film, the score is at
it's most crafty in the true sphere of points where the thrills just keep coming.
In the car chase
it's a mess and a mass of beats constantly thumping in your ears, keeping the
action engaging and quick moving. During Lou Bloom's raid and desecration of an
invaded house, it keeps a low humming mood; producing the dual effect of excitement
yet disgust.
But it is in the
silences that Howard lets a lot be spoken. The brazen attitude of Bloom and the
psychological mining of his character brought forth within moments of sheer
horror, fear and nail biting anticipation amplified by the sounds of
nothingness. It adds the extra layer of fear that the narrative needs to pull
into this dreaded character study.
And the Winner is...
Mica Levi for Under The Skin!
Fun Fact: Despite really being a tough decision at the tale end with the introduction of A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, Under The Skin has been at the top of this nomination the whole year since I first saw it.
Up Next: New Additions to the list rise up as we go to a bevy of Technical Awards!
'Nuff Said
Aneesh Raikundalia
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