Cinephile: Oscar-Nominated Scores
But no fear! There is another way to partake in the Oscar cultural conversation this winter. A free and multitasking-friendly method of aesthetically experiencing these films is to be become an authority on the Original Score category. All the cool kids are doing it — replacing the new Tame Impala album with John Williams, name-dropping Dario Marianelli and Alexandre Desplat instead of those oft-iterated directors. Besides, how many times have Steven Spielberg and Ang Lee been nominated before? Even David O. Russell — despite how unknown I Heart Huckabees (2004) and Three Kings (1999) remain — has become somewhat of a given at this point. Acquainting yourself with the Original Score category is the cinematic equivalent of reading Pitchfork.
For your listening pleasure, the Spotify playlist below presents all of this year’s Oscar-nominated scores, including Dario Marianelli’s work for Anna Karenina (2012), Alexandre Desplat’s latest with Argo (2012), newcomer Mychael Danna’s enchanting accompaniment to Life of Pi (2012), John Williams’ stately harmonies for Lincoln (2012) and Thomas Newman’s first Bond score with Skyfall (2012).
Check out my personal favorite, Thomas Newman’s simultaneously fresh and classic take on Bond themes in Skyfall (no, Adele’s lush theme song is not included, though it is Oscar-nominated in the Best Original Song category). “Severine” is perhaps the ultimate seductive Bond girl theme, while “Komodo Dragon” combines all the best of Bond, with epic brass, rich strings and riffs on the classic James Bond theme.
Life of Pi also has unmissable music contributes meaningfully to the film’s successful balance between dramatic survival story and lighthearted humor. “Leaving India” is a heartbreaker, while the mystical strains of “Tiger Vision” recall the film’s reflection into the mysteries of storytelling.
For more detail on this year’s score nominees, check out Bryan Lowder’s fantastic appraisal of the category in Slate.
http://open.spotify.com/user/1221554999/playlist/0cjXOkXaBJ8KASBpLtMgkk