Coco Before Chanel (Soundtrack) by Alexandre Desplat - Review

Elegance as Simplicity
Review by Christopher Coleman

If ever I felt under-dressed while viewing a film, it was the night I watched Coco Avant Chanel (Coco Before Chanel). While viewing director/ screenwriter, Anne Fontaine's take on the early life of Coco Chanel, I somehow became keenly aware of that fact that I was only wearing shorts and a t-shirt. It somehow just felt so very inappropriate. I came oh so close to puting on a shirt and tie. Instead, I reminded myself that Audrey Tautou's scrutinizing glare wasn't actually piercing back through the screen, rendering me a target of her debilitating gauze or demeaning fashion-judgments. I can safely say that no other movie has ever made me feel quite like that. COCO AVANT CHANEL is sumptuously subtle and slowly mesmerizes the viewer in such a way that by the time the final (and beautifully crafted) shot of the film is reached, one can't help but be fully infatuated with both Chanel and Tautou. In addition to her brilliant selection for lead actress, as well as Christophe Beaucharde as cinematographer, Anne Fontaine smartly hired on one of today's most popular composers, ALEXANDRE DESPLAT. Fontaine's film reflects some of Coco Chanel's own artistic values, including Desplat's contribution. As mentioned, COCO BEFORE CHANEL is subtle, but certainly not boring. It's concise but overflows with style. Elegance masquerading as simplicity is this film's modus operandi.

Bringing on Desplat seems like the most natural of choices for COCO AVANT CHANEL. Being a French-born composer and master of his own musical style of "l'élégance dans la simplicité," what better contemporary composer for the job? I can imagine the allure of providing the musical backdrop for the early life of perhaps contemporary-fashion's most influential person would be just too great to resist; however, with other 2009 titles like: JULIE AND JULIA, CHERI, ET APRES (AFTERWARDS), FANTASTIC MR. FOX, and THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON, once could hardly blame him if he had passed on Ms. Chanel. Covering the ascension of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel from an orphan, to a "kept woman" (of sorts) to the dawning of Chanel's fashion-empire, COCO BEFORE CHANEL offers ALEXANDRE DESPLAT ample emotional range to explore and fill with his, now, unmistakable sound.

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Listen to 5 Tracks from Assassin's Creed 2 by Jesper Kyd

On November 16, Jesper Kyd's latest project, Assassin's Creed 2, will be available, but we give you an advanced listen to 5 tracks from the upcoming, 35 track release!

More on Assassin's Creed 2

Award-winning composer Jesper Kyd has created an epic soundtrack for Assassin's Creed II, the sequel to the fastest-selling new IP in video game history. Following his atmospheric score for the original Assassin's Creed, Kyd takes the music in an adventurous new direction and crafts an immensely diverse, melodic and progressive musical palette featuring acoustic and symphonic orchestrations with emotional depth and diversity. The original score was recorded with A-List musicians and a Hollywood orchestra and choir at the world-renowned Capitol Studios. The Assassin's Creed II Original Soundtrack will be available for digital download from popular music stores on November 16th.

Assassin's Creed II features a new hero, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a young Italian noble, and a new era, the Renaissance. The game tells an epic story of family, vengeance and conspiracy set in the pristine, yet brutal, backdrop of a Renaissance Italy. Ezio befriends Leonardo da Vinci, takes on Florence’s most powerful families and ventures throughout the canals of Venice where he learns to become a master assassin. The music propels the action, captures the allure and mystery of the story and immerses players in the breathtakingly detailed settings.

Patrice Desilets, Creative Director at Ubisoft: "Jesper Kyd’s score for Assassin’s Creed II brings players into the Italian Renaissance by providing a true sense of depth for the poignant moments, while also giving a jolt of adrenaline to the action-packed sequences. We are thrilled to have Jesper Kyd back with us in making Assassin’s Creed II an epic title on all levels."

Jesper Kyd: "We created a unique musical identity for Assassin's Creed II that reflects the character and story of Ezio and elevated the music, both in terms of creativity and live production, to a whole new level."

Assassin’s Creed II is the product of over two years of intensive development by the original creative team behind the Assassin’s Creed brand. Assassin’s Creed II is scheduled to launch on November 17th, 2009 for the PLAYSTATION® 3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PC. For more information about Assassin’s Creed II, please visit http://www.assassinscreed.com/.

Give ear here! or Pre-Order the soundtrack here

Win Red Cliff (Soundtrack) by Taro Iwashiro

Well, John Woo's RED CLIFF is finally getting released in western theaters (more or less...mostly less) and that means a western release of Taro Iwashiro's beautiful score is coming as well.

In this month's Movie Caption Contest you could win Silva America's soundtrack release. Sharpen your wit and creativity and enter up to three separate captions, today! Contest closes on November 30, 2009.

Enter the contest here

Mayhem of the Music Meister (Batman: The Brave and the Bold) Soundtrack Review

Batman - The Musical
Review by Christopher Coleman

I have to admit. The first time I had even heard of the series: BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD was when I received this advance CD of music from the show. I was surprised to find that the music contained therein is from just one episode of the newest of the Batman animated series: "Mayhem of the Music Meister" was the 25th episode from the series' first season and first aired in July of 2009. I reluctantly popped the disc in, fully expecting to hear as many Elfman-Walker-Zimmerisms as their tv-budget would allow for, but was surprised once again. Truthfully, I was dumbfounded at what I heard. Batman, but Broadway-style!

After my initial shock and even displeasure wore off (afterall, how could they forget just how utterly dark and menacing the caped-crusader is?), I became intrigued with how a superhero cartoon could possibly warrant this sort of music. I was finally able to view the episode, and my feeling about this soundtrack did a full 180. The visual and episodic-style of BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD is certainly less serious than it's animated-predecessors and frankly, much more fun. It hearkens back to the Silver Age style of comics, but with a distinct measure of contemporary freshness. The concept of the original comic series from the 1950s teamed two or more heroes together to defeat the villain du jour and that format is continued in this new Cartoon Network series. "Mayhem of the Music Meister" is a little gem of an episode that doesn't just add in a handful of distinctive musical numbers for kicks, but the music is an integral part of the plot, giving composers: MICHAEL MCCUISTION, LOLITA RITMANIS, and KRISTOPHER CARTER (who comprise Dynamic Music Partners) and lyricists: JAMES TUCKER and MICHAEL JELENIC, a great opportunity to do something unique and fresh in the realm of the animated superhero.

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