Soundtracks Reviews
Soundtrack Review: MirrorMask
By Douglas Strassler Nov 15, 2005, 20:39 GMT
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MirrorMask marks Bellamy’s debut as a film composer, but it isn’t clear whether his newness to the game is what makes this score so crazy, or if he was merely following orders from illustrator Dave McKean, the film’s director. The film’s plot concerns fifteen-year-old Helena, who works for her family circus. In a nod to The Wizard of Oz, she wishes she could leave her home and join the real world. Her wish is granted – sort of. Helena finds herself on a journey to the Dark Lands, a fantastic landscape replete with giants, “Monkeybirds,” and dangerous sphinxes. She sets out on a quest to find the MirrorMask, a talisman that will wake the Queen of Light and help her escape the Darks Lands in order to return home.
Bellamy’s soundtrack runs the musical gamut, stretching from circus music to polka, from dance music (including the rumba, the tango, and the waltz) to new age. Bellamy also focuses much on the music to what he knows, as the saxophone is central to much of the music in the soundtrack. He also includes some rhythm-and-blues beats in tracks like “Sock Puppets/ Flyover”. He uses a pretty flute in “The White Queen” (a song that also includes some Arabic slurs), and some nice percussion on “Giants Orbiting.” He also features some Indian music.
The soundtrack to MirrorMask also features two songs, both of which are sung by Swedish jazz vocalist Josephine Cronholm. She disappoints in the cover of The Carpenters’ classic “Close to You,” but does a little bit better on the original song “If I Apologize.”
This is a soundtrack that could have stood to be grounded a little bit more. Bellamy shows some potential here, but overall creates a soundtrack that is too chaotic.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Actually, Josephine's cover of 'Close to You' is one of the best pieces on the soundtrack. Who is this reviewer?
yes, i wholly agree with the other poster. I think josephines version of close to you was very very good. I however did not like the carpenters version. this is more my style.
wow, whoever wrote this review clearly has no appreciation for good movies. The film techniques used in this were so spectacular. Bo matter where you had your attention on the screen, there was something visually pleasing for your eyes to drink in. Then, it also has a spectacular story line. me, being a lover of good 'couplings' found myself all giddy over the ending with valentine and helena. That was genious. besides that, it has all weve come to expect from Jim Henson, and this movie, i thought, greatly ressembled The Labrynth in the sense that things in the mirror world mirrored helenas own world. well, im done talking now, but, this was a brilliantly done movie. props to the creators.
I believe the version of 'Close to You' was brilliantly done... It very much matches Neil Gaiman's attitude and suits the movie quite well...
i have to disagree on josephine cronholm's cover of 'close to you'... so delicate and dissonant, with complexities layered feather-light onto its basic simplicity...
perhaps i dream music like this...
to me, the entire soundtrack was descriptive and evocative to the level of the animation and beyond... a very cohesive whole... well done...
Personally I thought the soundtrack was fantastical. I felt the person who did the review didn't appreciate it for what it was meant to be. I was drawn to the music so much so that the movie itself, while fascinating, became secondary to the melody. Don't listen to this review...Rent the movie and listen/watch for yourself!
It's actually Ballamy not Bellamy.
While the cover of 'Close to You' was an extraordinary piece, I believe the vocalist butchered it. She was obviously off the mark (in pitch) in especially the first few stanzas and you can tell when she runs out of breath. I love this piece, but with a better vocalist (which is not too hard to find) it could have been better. It was also an excellent movie, but the soundtrack is very chaotic.
the reviewer is deffinitely sum guy who takes life literraly... a pitty to b honest..
He should've looked a little beyond the first imprezz and sunk into the story more..
A. de saint-exipery anyone...???
whatever...
use your imagination and see the movie..
page: 1
iain BallamyApr 7th, 2006 - 18:47:38
Have you seen the film?
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