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Angels in America soundtrack (score) review

admin — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:32:30 +0000

“Angels in America” is a miniseries by HBO which is based on a play written by Tony Kushner. It revolves around the various relationships of a group of people during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Without explaining the plot, let me just say that it is indeed quite an odd show. This adjective is also commonly used by his critics to describe Thomas Newman’s music – what a coincidence.

“Angels in America” seems like the perfect project for Newman. It is a drama at its core, but with quirky aspects to numerous scenes and characters. Thus, while Newman’s dramatic side can shine, he also brings his more unique side (such as in “American Beauty”) to the table, but on a larger scale, effortlessly merged with the orchestra. As a result the score is an effective showcase and introduction of Thomas Newman as a composer, and contains some of his most beautiful work ever. It remains my favorite Thomas Newman soundtrack.

I believe Thomas Newman won an emmy for the Six Feet Under theme, but it confuses me to no end that his work for “Angels in America” was overlooked. The main titles alone represents some of the greatest music ever to grace the small screen (or the big screen, now that I think of it). And boy, is it a stunning piece of music. This track combines the large orchestral ensemble with various Newmanisms, including light tapping percussion and enveloping guitars. The gorgeous melody is carried by the oboe and strings along with soaring brass and woodwinds. The melody itself mostly restricts itself to the main credits, though it appears once again in “The Mormons”, played in a more intimate style by a violin and guitar.

However, Thomas Newman uses two other themes throughout the score, and both are quite beautiful. The first is introduced in “Ellis Island”, a very serene melody carried first by the oboe. The second is introduced in “Ozone”, a very elegant and pastoral theme which seems to represent the main characters, notably Prior Walter, and their ambitions or personal journeys. Both of them are among the best themes Newman has written, and Newman uses them generously compared to his other scores. One of my frequent complaints about Tom is that he creates wonderful melodies but only uses them in a total of two or three tracks. In this score, Newman doesn’t quite use his themes as much as, say, John Williams might, but they are not under-represented.

The rest of the score is a mix of great music in many different styles of Newman’s career. “Mauve Antarctica” is a playful dance of woodwinds, plucked strings, and oboe. “Bayeux Tapestry” is Newman’s traditional crisp string writing. At various points in the soundtrack, things get fairly loud, vicious, and almost bombastic, which is surprising to hear from Newman. The final two (score) tracks alone are worth the price of the disc. These tracks fill the end credits (and closing scene of the film), and are full explorations of the two themes Newman had introduced earlier. “The Great Work Begins” gives us a satisfying realization of the “Ozone” theme with the full orchestra and choir. Then, the volume settles and female voices gently restate the “Ellis Island” theme in “Tropopause”. Absolutely magnificent.

Is this score Newman’s best work to date? I certainly think it is. Heck, even the author at filmtracks.com, who seems to have a negative predisposition towards Newman’s attention to texture and underscore rather than overt leitmotif, gave it a perfect score. If this had been a motion picture, the score definitely would’ve earned him that Oscar that he deserves. If you’re planning to introduce someone to Thomas Newman, this is definitely the score to do it with.

WALL-E sheet music

admin — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:44:03 +0000

I was kind of obsessed with WALL-E for a bit so I wrote up some sheet music for the main theme (The Axoim on the soundtrack).

http://omohide.com/WALL_E_Theme_Axiom.pdf

http://omohide.com/wall_e_theme_axiom.mp3

(leave off the www)

Pixar’s WALL-E review

admin — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:10:50 +0000

Since the summer has started I’ve been catching up on a few films I’ve been meaning to watch, and there’s one thing that I’ve learned about myself in the process. I would never make a good critic. The reason for this is that if I watch a bad film, I will probably forget all about it within seconds of leaving a theatre. If there is nothing memorable about it, then I would find little reason to waste more time writing or talking about it. So I would’t find much enjoyment in negative criticism that many others enjoy writing and reading. However, the opposite is true of good films. If I come home after watching a great film, I will probably promptly suscribe to the IMDB message board and continue to post and check it periodically. In other words, if the film is a memorable one, I’ll never really stop writing or talking about it. Films like “Princess Mononoke”, “Ratatouille” and “Shawshank Redemption” are found in this long list, and now “WALL-E” takes its place as the latest addition.If there was any company that I would point to for a comparison with Studio Ghibli, it would be Pixar. Almost all of the films they have produced have been of high caliber, with only a few slips. What I love about Pixar is how clear their intentions are for each of their films - they have a destination they want to reach, and they make sure they arrive there in the best fashion possible. Films like “Finding Nemo” and “Ratatouille” are, in my opinion, nearly perfect in their execution of the story they wish to tell. In the mainstream market of Hollywood, the true joy of cinema is lost upon many directors and producers - the simple desire to tell a story from one’s imagination to the audience. It is this simple, untainted concept which has, in my opinion, been the core of Studio Ghibli’s quality films, and also, I believe, those of Pixar.

WALL-E is not exactly a convention film. It is new territory even for Pixar, because the main characters in this film do not speak or converse as humans do. So how does a director go about achieving all the usual desires of a director - enchanting the audience, creating sympathetic characters, making the viewers feel compelled as the plot thickens - when the main characters barely speak? It’s a tough sell, but I knew going into the theatre that Andrew Stanton would be able to pull it off.

I’ll refrain from plot summaries since they are so readily available elsewhere, and instead communicate my own response to the film. This is an interesting and delightful movie for both your senses and your mind. The animation is flawless - the detail given to the various movements of the robots, as well as the environments is breathtaking. Through the animation, the artists have also given WALL-E a persona and identity that the audience can easily connect with. Most of this is in the eyes. In fact, both the main characters, WALL-E and Eve, communicate a great deal through their eyes. The amazing thing about the film, which you really only realize on the drive home, is that Andrew Stanton makes you feel compassion, sympathy, and feeling for a mechanical robot that does not speak a word for the entire film. It’s a very remarkable concept, and shows us how brilliant the Pixar team really is.

Technically, as I mentioned, everything is top notch. The sound is brilliant, especially with the nuanced noises emitted by the two main robots. Thomas Newman delivers some of his most inventive work for the score - focusing more on sythetic and rhythmic music to accentuate the movement of the robots. The visuals never cease to be astounding.

WALL-E is another wonderful addition to Pixar’s already fat list of quality films. If you’re a fan already, there’s no question. If you’re not, you will be.

Zubin Mehta honored by Itzakh Perlman and co.

admin — Sat, 24 May 2008 03:06:35 +0000

The famous conductor Zubin Mehta, honored in 2006, including a video narrated by his good friend Itzhak Perlman, who tells the story of his rise from a schoolboy in India to one of the most well-known conductors worldwide.

My new favourite piano piece

admin — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:01:50 +0000

True Tears Review

admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:52:17 +0000

(Note: Spoiler-free review) I sometimes have a preference for completed series because I think spreading out episodes weekly can sometimes dilute the impact of the storyline or direction. Regardless, sometimes I pick up on a series which I like and notice it’s still ongoing, and therefore I’m forced into that situation anyways. True Tears was one of those series, and it made me realize that there’s a positive side to ongoing series as well, which is that it’s kind of fun to discuss and go over individual episodes on the net. Especially when you have a series that lends itself to disagreements and differing interpretations like this one.

To be honest, I didn’t really expect to like this series because of a few things, the most important reason being that it seemed to be a “harem title based on a game” and I’ve never really been fond of these kind of shows because the ones I’ve seen have all been associated with very poor writing, pointless fanservice, etc. True Tears, in a literal sense, is a harem title but it is certainly better than the kind of show commonly associated with that genre. It has likable and well-developed characters and a storyline that never feels as melodramatic as it could, mostly because you become so attached to the characters that you don’t notice.Of course, there’s a problem with these kind of relationship triangle shows, which is that a lot of people tend to become attached heavily to one character who might end up not being the favoured character at the end. Even though I could see that a certain character ending was being implied, I favoured another character just because I preferred their development and personality. I won’t pretend I’m not a bit unhappy that they were given the short end of the stick, but it would be unfair of me to say I dislike the show for that reason. After all, other people might not have that same attachment to that same character.

On the technical side, the artwork was very nice and the animation was fluid, especially the dance scene in episode 12. I thought the overhead shots of people walking were a bit stiff as they seemed to be computer generated, but apart from that, I can’t really think of any complaints. The background music was pleasant and contributed the necessary audio backdrop to certain scenes, but it wasn’t really memorable enough for me to go and find the soundtrack.Anyways, I don’t usually go into great detail when writing a review as I think it’s better for a viewer to watch the series themselves from a fresh perspective, so how do I communicate what I think of it? Well, I think that if you’re the kind of fan who likes Honey and Clover, Nodame Cantabile, Kare Kano, and similar shows, this might be something you’d like. I’m in no way implying that True Tears is similar to H&C in quality, just that I think a fan of H&C could be a fan of TT. It’s a very character-oriented show with little to now action. If that sort of thing doesn’t scare you, than you might want to check it out.

True Tears - 13 (END)

admin — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:18:30 +0000

Well, the last episode of True Tears was subbed very quickly and I have to thank the folks at…er..w00f…fansubs…for their great work.

Probably the best scene, I think….
Now, as for the show, although I personally thought a Noe ending would have been consistent with the show as well, and that it made more sense considering the relative development of the plot and characters, that isn’t what we got in this final episode. Regardless, the episode doesn’t really play into any camp’s hands. It wasn’t a Noe ending, and yet the final scene between the two certainly had a lot of depth, with Shin admitting her impact on his development or growth (the drawing, the dancing). I’d say that comparatively, the relationship with Hiromi is somewhat static and seems to be based more on familiarity and reliance from that single childhood memory and being “casual friends”. In other words, the writers made us know that this was how Shin “really felt” and kept telling us this but didn’t really provide adequate depth or basis for it. Which is why I predicted a Hiromi ending from a mile away but still preferred the other choice. Still, the show is over and dwelling on this doesn’t have much purpose, as Shin made his choice.

I’ll post a full review of the series sometime soon, for now my immediate thoughts are that it was a good show but it could have been better. I like, for example, the connection made in the final scene between the current generation and the past generation of relationships, and the problems each had. I still think some of the development of Shin’s mom could have been done better, especially her change of heart midway through the series. I liked that the writers themselves dismissed the idea that Shin never felt anything for Noe, just that it was a “deal”. I liked that he has to force himself to not”waver” on his choice. It’s a very realistic portrayal and I applaud the writers for taking that route.

A neutral ending for Jun….
As a Noe fan, what can I say? It wasn’t really a sad ending, and Noe gets her tears in the end and looks happy. Furthermore, some of us were right all along when we said that Noe really did have a great impact on Shin’s growth through the series. He even says he drew because of her, danced because of her….those are fairly strong statements considering that was the “losing” pair. In fact, it just reinforces the contrast between the two pairings, but again, not much point in debating that anymore. I liked the simple shot at the end when she goes to the chicken coop and then looks at the old declaration written out in rocks, with the (kind of) still shot as the credits roll. True Tears is over, and I have to say, it’s been a good ride.

True Tears - 12

admin — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:11:40 +0000

Essentially, this episode seems to revolve around the old saying, “You don’t realize the value of something until it’s gone”. The series has been building up to the dance performed by Shin. When it happens, he is thinking about Noe and to Hiromi’s surprise, Noe is the one he is gazing at. And at the end, he is running off towards her. A lot of negative things have been piling up on Noe for the past while, and all of it reminds me of KGNE. Does that mean the writers are going to follow the trend and have a sad-but-not-tragic “parting of the ways” in the final episode? Well, I don’t know. I’m not going to pretend that I”m not biased towards Noe because she’s probably one of my favourite characters in a long while. Still, I’m not the type to make predictions or get too heavily attached to a certain “ending”. Based on the usual trends that these kind of shows take, I would guess it will be a “Hiromi” ending. I don’t have much to say on this episode, but the ending was very cruel…

True Tears - 11

admin — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:35:36 +0000

With two episodes left to go, I suppose we can see the trajectory that the plotline will take over the remainder of the series. “True Tears” is a much more conventional series than some of the ones I call my favorites, but at the same time, I do find that I have developed a sort of attachment to some of the characters. What I’m trying to say is that I’m disappointed that it looks like there will be a “bad” ending for Noe. Now, we don’t know it for sure, but taking into account the general tone of this episode, and taking into account the statement she makes after leaving the chicken coop (The one in Shinichi’s heart is…etc..), that’s the direction I believe the writers are taking us. I think that episode 12 will be the formal and climactic ending of their relationship and then things will probably wind down in episode 13 with the “Hiromi ending”.

The series still goes for the easy route of “misunderstandings”, though. There were a significant moment of tension that was essentially rooted in a simple misunderstanding and could have been easily corrected. I’m referring to the incident involving Jun and his anger at the opposing players during Hiromi’s basketball game. Rumours spread around and Shin hears them, and yet when he asks Hiromi about it, she prefers to change the subject then leave the room. I suppose it’s an akward topic, but it also seems like she could have easily dispelled any doubt quite easily. I thought the big “kiss” moment was kind of strange in how anticlimactic it was….generally that sort of scene would be left for the final episode so I’m wondering if it may be an indication that perhaps the conclusion of the story may not be as definite after all.

If there was one more thing that I didn’t like very much, it’s Hiromi’s hesitance when she has to tell Shin that Noe is missing. Yes, I understand that there is a sense of unease regarding the whole thing but when someone is missing, I would think their safety should override all other priorities….She showed surprisingly little remorse considering she is indirectly involved in the case of her disappearance….not that I’m blaming her, but I think some compassion would been warranted. In fact I’m surprised that she showed very little thought towards Noe considering she knew what was occurring between her and Shin prior to this point and didn’t know what the situation between them was currently. And to go back to the past, there was that scene where all four main characters were at the chicken coop, and I felt that her behavior towards Noe was very cold. I just can’t get myself to appreciate her character at all because of these sort of things.

Oh, and I did like the scene at Aiko’s shop…at least there’s one happy ending I can appreciate!

True Tears - first impressions

admin — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 21:20:19 +0000

Upon a friend’s recommendation, I’ve watched a few episodes of a new show called “True Tears”. I have to admit I was hesitant at first because it sounded like a generic harem title based on an dating sim game (which I dislike - a lot), but after a few episodes, it’s not quite that bad. Generally, there’s a few tests I apply to any slice-of-life/romance/drama anime. My first basic and simple law of anime is that “As the instances of pointless fanservice in an anime increase, the chances of said anime being one worth watching approaches zero”. In this regard, “True Tears” isn’t awful but it still succumbs to that tendency every now and then. The next is the H&C comparison test. Honey and Clover has, for better or for worse, raised my expectations of anime series in this genre. I have yet to really find a match for that series (outside of Ghibli anime), except, perhaps, for Nodame Cantabile which I enjoyed as well. “True Tears” is no H&C. Sure, it’s true that Honey and Clover had the usual relationship triangles and unrequited love but the way they were handled and directed seemed so….above…the usual fare. H&C felt like a real situation with real characters rather then just an anime. “True Tears” doesn’t really have that same feel, but I suppose I will watch the whole series before making a final judgment.