It's time to talk about Her. In my opinion, she's the frontrunner for Best Picture. (see what I did there?) But - obviously - I'm here to talk about the music.
What was done in Her is something that has been trending lately for movie scores: calling on bands to score music. I personally think it's a great move. Yes, it's a risk, but so far I think it has worked out tremendously. Take Explosions in the Sky as a prime example. They were a rock band and worked on the music for the TV show Friday Night Lights, producing the ever-popular track "First Breath After Coma." This song was actually used in the Friday Night Lights movie and many many commercials (mainly sports-related), and its theme is especially recognizable. I personally loved it.
So I think that's why I loved the score for Her as well. Obviously the Oscar nomination speaks for itself, but we all know that the academy is not the end-all of ratings (after all, someone should consult me, shouldn't they?). The movie itself is so powerful, that Spike Jonze had a really difficult task in choosing accompanying music. But he chose wisely. Arcade Fire (along with Owen Pallett, who is not technically part of the band) produced music that so masterfully accompanies the themes of the movie itself, while being minimalist enough not to overshadow it. And it's the minimalism that complements the movie at the same time! Whoa...
First and foremost, the electronic, synthy sound clearly blends with the futuristic feel of the movie. To me, this score is similar to the score for The Social Network, but without the brashness that the latter contains. But it's not just the ultramodernity that makes it so effective. The simplicity and hollowness of the few raw string instruments echo the loneliness that many moments in the story represent. I mean, come on, 2 of the tracks are even called “Loneliness." The use of 1 or 2 instruments creates void and longing for more, while the melodies and progressions create a sense of warmth and comfort of somebody by your side. This duality seems paradoxical, but I think Arcade Fire has managed to blend them together - especially in the two songs that Samantha "composes": "Photograph" and "Song on the Beach." Maybe I'm reading too much into it; maybe I'm saying it's there because I want it to be there. But if they have achieved what I think they have achieved --- WOW!
First and foremost, the electronic, synthy sound clearly blends with the futuristic feel of the movie. To me, this score is similar to the score for The Social Network, but without the brashness that the latter contains. But it's not just the ultramodernity that makes it so effective. The simplicity and hollowness of the few raw string instruments echo the loneliness that many moments in the story represent. I mean, come on, 2 of the tracks are even called “Loneliness." The use of 1 or 2 instruments creates void and longing for more, while the melodies and progressions create a sense of warmth and comfort of somebody by your side. This duality seems paradoxical, but I think Arcade Fire has managed to blend them together - especially in the two songs that Samantha "composes": "Photograph" and "Song on the Beach." Maybe I'm reading too much into it; maybe I'm saying it's there because I want it to be there. But if they have achieved what I think they have achieved --- WOW!
I will say, however, that I didn’t feel this score had a memorable musical progression. Anyone who has read enough of my posts probably knows that I’m a big fan of memorable themes. And although I will remember the score of Her for all of the reasons I mentioned above, I won’t really remember the music. A track like "We're All Leaving" is a great track which contains all of the elements required of it, but the piano riff is somewhat cliche. It just didn’t go the extra mile for me the way some other scores have. I know: Spike should have called me to confer before putting this movie out. I’m also perplexed as to why he didn’t.
Ultimately, I thoroughly enjoyed the Her score. And evidently I’m not the only one, as it’s nominated for Oscars for both Best Original Score and Best Original Song (“The Moon Song” by Karen O). But I don’t think it will win. If not for the slight flaw I mentioned above, it will be because it is going against some better ones. I personally LOVED the score for Gravity, though some might call me shallow. But I think the frontrunner here is Thomas Newman’s score for Saving Mr. Banks. I haven’t seen it yet, but you can expect a post about that one upcoming.
Notable Tracks:
Milk & Honey - futuristic feel, great fusion on synth and strings
Dimensions - just freakin awesome
Song On The Beach - do I hear a little theme in here?
Some Other Place - halfway through, the buildup begins
We're All Leaving - pretty classic, but really nice
Supersymmetry - really cool song. I believe it's on their album Reflektor
The link to the entire score can be found HERE
