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No Strings Attached: (John Debney) Movies directed
by Ivan Reitman have become something of a rarity in the 2000's, his
bankability not what it was back in the 1980's and early 90's. With his
only directorial project of the previous ten years being
My Super
Ex-Girlfriend, Reitman tackled a more serious concept for
No Strings
Attached five years later with the same trademark sense of
feather-light comedy and drama. The topic of casual sex is the focus of
this film, Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher playing a pair of
life-long friends who decide to engage in a "no strings attached" sexual
relationship at a whim. As expected, though, complications arise as they
become more romantically attached despite how much they fight off the
idea of a lasting emotional bond. It's a story without much substance,
the result never in doubt and the route towards that end stocked with
the predictable twists and turns that involve jealousy, heartbreak, and,
according to some reviewers, wayward feminism. Critical reactions to
No Strings Attached were mixed, the plot's lurid nature and
supporting roles for Kevin Kline and Cary Elwes not appealing enough to
compensate for the predictable narrative. But any movie rated "R" for
sexual content and starring Portman and Kutcher is destined to succeed
at the box office, and
No Strings Attached did indeed do well at
the outset of 2011. Not surprisingly, the film was stocked with the
usual variety of pop songs to meet the expectations of the production's
target demographic, and whatever original score utilized by Reitman
would inevitably be fragmented by that usage. The director has rotated
between composers talented at writing lightly dramatic or comedy fluff
in such circumstances throughout his career, maintaining collaborations
with Randy Edelman and James Newton Howard at various times. For
No
Strings Attached, Reitman hired perhaps the most experienced living
composer in this genre, John Debney, a man who could have phoned in this
assignment and, in the view of some film music collectors, may have done
just that. It is difficult not to admire the talent Debney has for
cranking out suitable music for assignments like this without fail;
rarely will you see music like this score receive a below average
rating. On the other hand, it's almost impossible for scores in the
mould of
No Strings Attached to receive a glowing review, either,
because at the end of the day, such music is functional but largely
unmemorable and highly redundant, even in short presentations on
album.
Debney's job of maintaining a contemporary environment
in
No Strings Attached is well accomplished. Nothing on display
here is particularly fresh, however, with every moment reminiscent of
several other scores by Debney or a host of others who frequent this
genre with streamlined background music. Despite being functional, none
of the orchestrations or solo performances is of particular note for
their complexity. Debney's choice of thematic content and performance
ensemble is actually quite adept given the circumstances, however. Since
the whole notion of mushy romance is rejected at the foundation of a
casual sexual friendship, Debney doesn't utilize a sappy orchestra and a
deep theme as the basis of the score. Instead, he spends much of the
time in his music exploring looped light rock lines on guitars,
keyboards, and even occasional Hammond organ. In "Golf Date" (with a
unique whistling line and obnoxious synthetic tones), "Emma Loses It"
(hailing back to the glory days of surfing), and "Hailing the Cab" (a
cross between the two), the composer unleashes hip attitude that
generically suffices. More palatable are cues like "Adam with Girls,"
"Vanessa at Hospital," and "Sneaking Freckles Into Hospital," all of
which moving with staggered rhythms and clunking, watery percussive
effects on the keyboard that will remind listeners of Thomas Newman's
comedy style. The most intelligent musical expression in
No Strings
Attached is Debney's careful development of his primary theme for
the two leads (and the orchestral accompaniment) as they eventually
recognize their love for one another. The theme isn't earth-shattering,
its progressions simplistic and instrumentation often led by guitar.
Heard in "Emma Walks Adam to Car," "Getting Married," "I'd Choose
Adam/First Date," "Three Months Later," "I Think I'm Falling," and the final
two cues, the theme is clearly the highlight of the score. The only
times you hear the string and woodwind sections together with the
soloists are most likely in these cues, though they also contribute in
"You Wanna Do This?" and "Emma to Wedding." The only problem with this
technique is that it generates little warmth on the album presentation
of the score, the last cue the only one to really appreciate due to its
length. Even that one ends on an unresolved note, however, making the
album yet another questionable purchase in this genre. Lakeshore Records
released the songs and score on separate albums, the latter only
containing 27 minutes over 21 tracks, the normal construct for a score
for this type of film. It's difficult to imagine a significant audience
for this product outside of serious enthusiasts of the film.
*** Amazon.com Price Hunt: CD or Download
| Bias Check: | For John Debney reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating
is 3.23 (in 49 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.01
(in 42,775 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
|
The insert includes a list of performers, but no extra information
about the score or film.
