Favourite Soundtracks Part III

I would like to apologise for my half year hiatus from this very blog! My absence can be explained by the fact I have just started studying at university so have been busy settling in, meeting new people and finding time to bury my nose in Law books on occasion... But fear not and rest assured that I am back and ready to reignite my passion for film. 

Actually, it's rather presumptuous to assume anyone has actually missed activity on Amateur Reviews but I have certainly missed writing it...

FAVOURITE SOUNDTRACKS PART III

1. Les Miserables I Dreamed A Dream - Anne Hathaway I love this musical but the stand out track as cliché as expected is Anne Hathaway's portrayal of the musical theatre great. Ideally my favourite song from the musical is One Day More, however something about the movie version did not quite gel for me as much as some of the stage versions.

2. Great Gatsby Back To Black Beyonce and Andre 3000 This was one of my most listened to CDs of the summer so I was torn between a great many of the tracks. The hip hop edge of the sound track is to our ears what jazz was to Gatsby and co. in the 1920's. Genius from Baz. And as a side note, my second favourite would be Together by The XX.

3. The Vow England The National Yet another track by The National makes it onto one of my favourite lists (About Today from Warrior being the other). This is the instrumental version which ends the movie, however the original with lyrics is beautiful also.

4. Flight Gimme Shelter Rolling Stones Now I know that this song features in so many films other than Flight, but this is the most recent use of it that I am aware of therefore I decided to pick Flight as the soundtrack from which it's from. The intro of this song is summer personified in a song.

5. Social Network In Motion Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Incredible Oscar worthy soundtrack, the movie would not be what it is without it. I also particularly enjoyed the choral cover of Creep by Radiohead which accompanied the trailer too though is not part of the score.

6. Inglourious Basterds Cat People David Bowie Great song to accompany an even greater tracking shot by Quentin Tarantino.

7. Romeo + Juliet Talk Show Host Radiohead Another inspired Baz Luhrman soundtrack. The modern music in the modern take of Romeo and Juliet keeps the movie feeling fresh and relevant nearly 20 years on. Impressive film making.

8. Requiem For A Dream Lux Aeterna This song is used in so many other contexts nowadays that I sometimes forget that it is from this movie by Darren Aronofsky. I believe it was used for a Lord of The Rings Trailer? Either way it is a cracking piece of soundtrack to a cracking movie.

9. There Will Be Blood Convergence Johnny Greenwood I actually struggle to listen to this. It is not something that you'd put on for a bit of easy listening, or at a party for that matter. But I included it in the post just for the sheer fact that it encapsulates the urgency and unease of the movie ridiculously well. There Will Be Blood is truly brilliant but an undeniably hard watch; this soundtrack contributes to quality. 

10. Silver Linings Play Book Buffalo Alt-J Feat. Mountain Man And finally to round off the list... Alt-J is one of my favourite bands so when I heard their distinctive sound on the Silver Linings OST I was very happy indeed.

So that rounds off Part III. There will probably be a Part IV as I have always got my ears trained on the songs that come from some of my favourite films. Until then you can by all means check out Part I and Part II via the links below if it takes your fancy (or perhaps not if you hate my music/film taste!) 

Part I
Part II

Academy Awards 2013: The Winners

Best Picture: Argo

Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
 
Directing: Ang Lee, Life of Pi

Foreign Language Film: Amour, Austria

Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio, Argo

Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Animated Feature Film: Brave

Production Design: Lincoln 

Cinematography: Life of Pi

Sound Mixing: Les Miserables

Sound Editing: Life of Pi, Skyfall (tie)

Original Score: Life of Pi, Mychael Danna

Original Song: Skyfall from Skyfall, Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth

Costume: Anna Karenina

Documentary Feature: Searching for Sugar Man

Documentary (short subject): Inocente

Film Editing: Argo

Makeup and Hairstyling: Les Miserables

Animated Short Film: Paperman

Live Action Short Film: Curfew

Visual Effects: Life of Pi


Have your say: was your favourite robbed? Comment you opinion of this year's Academy Awards below, I'd genuinely love to hear!

Les Miserables - Review

LES MISERABLES


2013

12A

Starring Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe Anne Hathaway

Directed by Tom Hooper

In 19^th-century France, Jean Valjean is paroled but continuously shadowed by Inspector Javert for a minor crime which saw him imprisoned for 19 years. When he takes the responsibility for factory worker Fantine’s daughter on his path to redemption, their lives are changed forever.

Hooper’s vision of the classic novel is by no means subtle. The opening scene, depicting hundreds of downtrodden convicts pulling an imposing ship into harbour, sets the precedent for the film. Les Miserables is an epic film and goes big in every sense: the performances, the emotion, the set design, the cinematography. Nevertheless this stirring musical maintains the brutality and the edge that laces Hugo’s original story and delves into the politics, French history, religion, justice, romantic and familial love with stunning flair and finesse.

The singing is handled with such ease, you treat it the same as you would dialogue after a while. The composition carries meaning that could never be achieved with dialogue alone. To ask why this Les Miserables film couldn’t have been done without singing would be like asking why poetry is not prose; it’s not meant to be. Some of the shots throughout the songs are very tight and claustrophobically close. You can see the exertion of singing live, it’s unflinching, almost uncomfortably intimate – but this just enhances what Victor Hugo intended, these people really are miserable and you shouldn’t turn away from it.

Hooper’s one-take/on-set singing brings a new level of meaning to the lyrics that are known and loved already, and it’s tremendously impressive. Anne Hathaway has spoken of how difficult it is to belt out these theatrical, operatic numbers while not contorting her face. But you can see the energy the actors are pouring into the performances and it is truly invigorating. This comes at the expense of some less polished moments but for the most part, the cast handle the massive songs with extraordinary skill.

Anne Hathaway’s Fantine is nothing short of remarkable, I Dreamed A Dream has definitely been reclaimed from Susan Boyle. This is not the pretty version; it is full of heart wrenching anger, sadness, hopelessness and resignation. Another pleasant revelation was the fact that, not only can Eddie Redmayne act outstandingly well, he has a startling pair of lungs on him. Marius’ rendition of Empty Chairs at Empty Tables is one of the most emotionally charged moments of the entire show.

Not all is so triumphant. Some of the outdoor shots of Paris seem curiously counterfeit which detracts from the full blown realism of the acting and indoor sets. At times Crow teeters into rock and roll notes, and the notoriously difficult Bring Him Home seems ever so slightly strained; but this is nit picking of the highest order.

Les Miserables is one of the greatest stories ever told, Hooper and his cast do it more than justice. When the pivotal moments arrive, they step up to the challenge with resolute determination to do it proud. It’s full of heart, clout and the care of hundreds. Les Miserables packs a supreme punch; even the most die hard fan of the novel or stage show could not disagree with that.

Rating 9.5

 

 

 

 

 

Les Miserables - Premiere

Just a few shots of the stars from the Les Mis New York premiere, although somehow a few pictures from the world premiere have ended up here too. Not sure about Hathaway's Tom Ford boots - however Redmayne's Burberry suit is the stuff of dreams...

Les Miserables - Trailer

Just a quick one for today... The new official trailer for Les Mis was released today and it's looking fairly epic! Hugh Jackman, Eddie Redmayne and Anne Hathaway star in the classic musical to name but a few! Let us know what you think of the first trailer in the comments below!