Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you appreciate the thematic grace and instrumental sentimentality of the Golden Age's romances and/or the flowing styles of Georges Delerue's more recent equivalents. Avoid it... if the undeniably powerful dramatic appeal of the score's opening cue cannot compensate for a remaining score that relies far more on bright innocence and uncontrolled bursts of charm. Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Angel: (Philippe Rombi) From a novel by author Elizabeth Taylor comes the inspiration for Angel, the second English-language film by French director Francois Ozon. In many ways a throwback to the grand romances of Hollywood's Golden Age, Angel also features a wider range of sensibilities that would seem to attract attention from modern arthouse crowds. The story follows the life of young author Angel Deverell, whose force of will leads the audience on a journey from the imaginative aspirations of her youth all the way through her eventual death. A fierce personality for Angel and the story's willingness to toss in a tart now and then provide the film with spicy interest. Angel marks the fifth collaboration (since 2003) between Ozon and young French composer Philippe Rombi, who has shown the talent and promise of an international career that is yet unrealized. Without a doubt, Angel is the biggest spectacle to come out of Rombi's career as of yet, contributing to a belief that he very well could be an extension of (or replacement for) the late master of French romanticism, Georges Delerue. In many ways, Angel will be an absolute delight for fans of Delerue, mostly due to Rombi's unashamed, lyrical devotion to his three themes for the film. The same sweeping, dramatic spirit that Delerue drew from the Golden Age of film scoring and infused into 1970's and 80's dramas and comedies is clearly evident in Rombi's music for Angel, and so refreshing is a return to this sound that the score is among the best of 2007. Rombi's surprisingly loyal interpolation of the sounds of Max Steiner, Frank Skinner, and other industry standards of the 1940's and 50's was a clear direction given by Ozon, who specifically used Skinner's music as a temp track during the production of the film. Rombi proves his credentials in understanding the technicalities of structure and instrumentation from the era, very well reproducing the sound while also sharpening the edges to suit both the melancholy aspects of the story as well as the expectations of modern listeners. The London ensemble that Rombi employs for Angel is somewhat standard in its orchestration, relying on traditional elements to provide solo emphasis. The most creative part of the equation is the contracting of the Crouch End Festival Chorus (known to film music collectors primarily for its role on Silva Screen compilations of re-recordings). The quality of the Abbey Road recording of the orchestra is outstanding, allowing the string, woodwind, and piano solos to shine appropriately, while the chorus is interestingly (and likely intentionally) mixed at somewhat of a distance, almost to suggest that its combined performance is just one additional and equal instrument in the larger mix. All of these elements forge a highly thematic score that contains not a single moment of encroaching dissonance. Rombi's three themes for Angel are each quite attractive, but the beauty in his composition is his expert skill at varying the tone and tempo of each theme in creative ways for various scenarios in the film. The title theme experiences the most strikingly dramatic shifts in tone throughout the score, representing the reality of life and the obvious swings that accompany it. The score opens with the most powerful and troubled presentation of this theme, almost ominous in its wave-like rhythmic movement. The choral accompaniment in the latter half of "The Real Life of Angel Deverell" will cause John Debney collectors to immediately recall his arrangement of Disneyland's historic "Haunted Mansion" material, and the dark, rich elegance of the waltz rhythms that dominate the mystique of that piece. The anticipatory choral counterpoint that explodes in the final stanza of the theme's performance in this cue is remarkably fresh in construct. Together with a duet for piano and cello in the middle of the theme's performance, "The Real Life of Angel Deverell" is among the most entertaining single cues of the year. While the remainder of the score doesn't achieve the same resonance of force, it's still fascinating to hear Rombi adapt this theme, and the score's two others, for the successes and failures that Angel Deverell experiences in her life. As Angel progresses into its midsection, the title theme flourishes in lush and bright performances that are practically unrecognizable compared to the opening cue. Eventually returning to its origin of darkness in the latter half of the score, this theme's transformations are sometimes achieved through simple key changes, but Rombi's shifts are often more complicated than that. You can delineate the creatively split personality of this theme by enjoying its morbid half in "The Real Life of Angel Deverell," "Inspiration," "Mother's Death," "The Portrait" (in its most horrific variant), "The War" (in the form of a solemn choral tribute), at the dramatic end of "In the Name of Love," faintly in "Esme's Death" and "Angelica," and finally returning to its early shades of midnight in "Angel's Death." The upbeat and spirited variants grab your attention immediately with the almost child-like, flighty, and choral "Overture," optimistically gracing "The Publisher" before erupting with percussion and flute-aided enthusiasm in the buoyant "London," "Success," and "Honey Moon." Faint glimpses of the same happy spirit exist in both "Visit to Esme" and "Marry Me," though it's the undeniably charming attitude of cues like "Success" and "Honey Moon" that, despite the harpsichord that ties the cues to the Victorian era, are a stylistic replica of some of the hopelessly innocent jingles heard on American televisions in the 1950's. The tempo of the theme changes dramatically over the course of these cues as well, moving with dramatic and deliberate elegance in "The Real Life of Angel Deverell" and whipping along with reckless abandon in "Success" and "Honey Moon." For some listeners, the other two themes will be as attractive, of not more so. One of those themes is "Angel's Theme," a lovely yearning of youth that accompanies a girl's dreams come true. It explodes with gorgeous piano counterpoint in "Crowning Moment" and "Marry Me," with choral accompaniment in the former. An alternate reprise at the end of the album reduces the theme to only a memory. As the character grows, this theme of innocent joy becomes absent from the film, an unfortunate but understandable pity. The third theme in Angel is "Paradise's Theme," the score's most obvious connection to the romances of the Golden Age. The swaying strings, flowing harp, and rambling piano of this straight forward love theme of sorts is orchestral optimism in its most primordial form, making the romances of Rachel Portman seem downright dreary by comparison. The role of the piano will remind some listeners of John Williams' similar throwback ideas for Sabrina. Hinted at in "Overture," the theme is presented in concert format in "Paradise's Theme" and "In the Name of Love," with longing violin solos in "A Gift from Paradise," in understated fashion in "Jealousy," in the glamorous violin and choral tones of "Together is Paradise," and in a somber and slower conclusion in "The Dreamed Life of Angel Deverell." Collectors of Golden Age film music will find each of this last theme's performances to be pure bliss. Another one of the more interesting aspects of Angel is the fact that there are really no notable cues to discuss outside of the aforementioned variations on the three themes. There are minutes or two here and there that don't carry any of the themes, but these interludes are largely unremarkable and short. Otherwise, there is always some form of thematic development or exploration underway by Rombi in Angel, and while the theme for Angel's youthful exuberance may be somewhat lacking in its restriction to the first half of the story, the other two themes alternate to such a regular extent that a fan of either will find the score to merit repeated enjoyment. The interaction between the title theme and "Paradise's Theme," especially in a cue like "In the Name of Love," is fascinating. Each theme has fragments that can be stated alone with perfect recognizability. The majority of film score collectors will gravitate towards the power of "The Real Life of Angel Deverell" if only for its tumultuous bass string rhythms and glorious choral accompaniment; even within this score, that one cue stands out with an undeniably dramatic minor-key appeal. The well-balanced album is unfortunately not in print in America, so buyers there will need to pay import prices to fetch the European commercial pressing. For the generally older listeners with extensive Golden Age collections, it'll be well worth the price. ***** Track Listings:
Total Time: 68:57
All artwork and sound clips from Angel are Copyright © 2007, Colosseum Records. The reviews and notes contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Filmtracks Publications. Audio clips can be heard using RealPlayer but cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 1/18/08, updated 1/19/08. Review Version 4.1 - PHP (Filmtracks Publications). Copyright © 2008-2013, Christian Clemmensen. All rights reserved. |
