Filmtracks Traffic Rank: #950
Written 5/14/04, Revised 10/14/11
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Buy it... if you regularly relax to mellow, easy-going, and
contemporary urban rhythms for a romance with the heart and melody of an
older generation.
Avoid it... if you expect music with a personality as overtly
snazzy as that of Johnny English or other more ambitious, larger
ensemble scores by Edward Shearmur.
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| Shearmur |
Laws of Attraction: (Edward Shearmur) Fateful
romance between characters played by Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore
is the main attraction of the 2004 comedy Laws of Attraction.
They portray divorce attorneys who are arguing on opposite sides in
court on one particularly nasty case. The two are thrown together on a
trip necessitated by that 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 or bore nearly every critic (and many audiences as well)
upon its release, and it failed to recoup its budget even in worldwide
grosses. One of the most difficult tasks for a composer of any
generation to undertake 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 was a continuation of a
collaboration with director Peter Howitt that had resulted in the
impressive Johnny English the previous year. The project
represented yet another score in the very diverse early career of
Shearmur, though after 2004 his mainstream output unfortunately declined
and similar assignments began landing with Aaron Zigman and other
composers of his generation. Whatever problems Laws of Attraction
suffered overall, the versatility of Shearmur was well utilized in this
instance; he seemed to try make magic in all of his scores for the genre
during this period, even if it was for a topic as vacuous as that of
Miss Congeniality. Howitt was unsure of the musical needs of the
film at first, though it was understood that a retro genre sound from
Hollywood's yesteryear, while likely a viable method of scoring the
film, would turn off too many younger audiences. Thus, Shearmur
approached the score with the intent of infusing 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 established the generally affable tone of the
music, and he mostly succeeds in keeping the atmosphere airy and light
on the feet. Throw in a touch of authentic Irish flavor for scenes at
the location where a castle is being disputed in the court case, and the
score offers some points of distinction to keep you interested.
Establishing the attorneys in
Laws of Attraction
as professional and modern individuals, Shearmur opens the score with
light contemporary tones on percussion and a simple theme performed by
solo clarinet over a pleasant orchestral backdrop. There is an
infectious quality to these clarinet solos, a feeling of likability
inherent in the performance emphasis by the player. As the story
progresses, Shearmur propels the music with consistently innocuous
variations on these rhythms, promising what would be a no-thrills, easy
going, and lazy afternoon listening experience. Only a slight hint of
Chinese flavor in "Chinatown" augments an otherwise very static
ensemble. But when the Irish sequences enter the film, Shearmur really
earns his pay by spicing up the score's personality. Film music
listeners heard Irish influences so often in scores of the late 1990's
and early 2000's (James Horner alone saturated the Irish and Scottish
genres for American ears) that some deemed it 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 detail when transferring the main theme from the
urban, American environment into the Irish one without missing a beat.
The latter half of the score alternates between these sensibilities,
passing the melody from the clarinet to oboe and flute for the Irish
renditions. There are a few moments of high romance for those seeking
fully orchestral swells, with two such string crescendos 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
elegance and continued clarinet work for the less comedic,
conversational half of the film. By the end, the snazzy rhythms have
faded away (with the exception of a quick reprise of this style in
"Coda"), and a subtle, rather average atmosphere of romance finishes 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 accessibility. The album contains 35 minutes of
Shearmur's score and is accompanied at the start by two of his own
original songs, one an uneventful pop variation and the other a wilder
Irish jig. Overall, this is a very easy-going and delightful score, but
it contains nothing to reach out and grab you outside of some vaguely
appealing Irish tones, making it an excellent bargain bin find for a
breezy summer afternoon.
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