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Laws of Attraction: (Edward Shearmur) One of the most
difficult tasks for a composer of any generation is to write a romantic
comedy score in the style of the 1940's to suit the age of the film's stars
without allowing the music to sound dated. This was exactly the task for
composer Edward Shearmur, for whom
Laws of Attraction is yet another
score in a very diverse, young career. The film is one of fateful romance
between Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore, who portray divorce attorneys who
are arguing on opposite sides in court on one particularly nasty divorce
case. The two are thrown together on a trip related to their case, get
married after a night of drunken madness, and then have to complete the
court case against each and attempt to make a real relationship out of the
matter. The film, despite the highly anticipated charm and chemistry between
its co-stars, managed to irritate and/or bore nearly every critic (and many
audiences as well) on a national level. Whatever problems the film may have,
it's difficult to go wrong with the versatile Ed Shearmur, who seems to try
make magic in all of his scores for the genre, even if it was
Miss
Congeniality. The director, Peter Howitt, was unsure of the musical
needs of the film at first, although it was understood that an aged sound
from Hollywood's yesteryear, although a viable method of scoring the film,
would turn off too many younger audiences. Thus, Shearmur took the score
with the ability to infuse traditional orchestral romance with a more hip,
modern sound. Keeping the pace of the rhythms afloat during the length of
the film seems to have been the primary concern once Shearmur sat down to
write the music, and he succeeds. Throw in some authentic Irish flavor for
scenes on the location where a castle is being disputed in the court case,
and the score begins to take on a distinct direction.
Establishing the attorneys as professional and modern
individuals, Shearmur starts us off with light, modern rhythms and a simple
theme performed with solo clarinet over a pleasant orchestral backdrop. As
the story continues to gather steam, Shearmur propels the music with
variations on these rhythms, promising what would be a no-thrills, easy
going, and lazy afternoon listening experience. But then enters the Irish
sequences, and Shearmur really earns his pay. We all hear Irish influences
so often in modern scores (James Horner alone is saturating the Irish and
Scottish genres for American ears) that they almost become a dreaded style,
but how often do you hear Irish rhythms and instrumentation with a touch of
modern pizzazz? Without losing the lofty, flighty attitude of the score, the
Irish cues maintain the same pace and enthusiasm as the rest of the score.
The most impressive aspect of
Laws of Attraction is Shearmur's
attention to transferring the same theme from the urban, American
environment into the Irish one without missing a beat. There are a few
moments of high romance for fans of fully orchestral swells, with two such
string cues appearing in "An Irish Tale" and "Love at Last." The latter half
of the score slows down, as the romance matures, and relies more heavily on
solo piano meanderings and continued clarinet work for the less comedic,
conversational half of the film. By the finale cue, the snazzy rhythms have
faded away, and a subtle, rather average atmosphere of romance carries the
score. For fans of the zippy rhythms, this inevitable turn may detract from
the album. Still, the overall effort is commendable in its simplicity and
casual enjoyability. On album, 35 minutes of Shearmur score is accompanied
at the start by two of his original songs, one an uneventful pop variation
and the other a more wild Irish jig. Overall, this is a very easy-going and
delightful score, but yet it has nothing to reach out and grab you. It would
make for an excellent used-CD bin find on a breezy summer afternoon.
***
The insert includes extensive notes about the film, composer, and score.
