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Composed, Arranged, and Produced by:
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John Powell
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Conducted by:
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Gavin Greenaway
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Release Date:
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January 13th, 2004
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Availability:
Regular U.S. release.
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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you want to hear one of the most surprisingly
sophisticated action scores ever to accompany a John Woo film.
Avoid it... if you require a taste of more dominant themes to accompany
your stylish action underscores.
Filmtracks Editorial Review:
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Paycheck: (John Powell) The concept and execution of
Paycheck is consistent with both the stories of author Philip K. Dick
and the directing of John Woo. Seeming like a natural fit, Dick has penned
popular sci-fi stories (many of them in the short format) that include
Minority Report and the cult classic Bladerunner. From the
modern action genre of Hong Kong, Woo has kept the pulse pounding with films
such as Mission: Impossible 2 and Face/Off. The concept of
Paycheck is closer to the thrilling futuristic aspects of Minority
Report than anything else, with Ben Affleck playing a brilliant
scientist who does secretive work for large corporations with the
understanding that upon being paid, his memory of the project would be
erased. On his last five-year project, however, his corporate employers
erase his memory and then claim that he has forfeited his $90 payoff, and he
has only 20 clues from his recent past to spur his own investigation while,
of course, the corporation decides and attempts to kill him. Woo returns to
the former Zimmer collection of Media Ventures-related composers (now spread
on their own and mixed up with legal battles), and hired the capable John
Powell to create a propulsive futuristic score for Paycheck. Powell
had spent the majority of the previous year engaged in the genre of romantic
comedies, including the laughable Affleck/Jennifer Lopez bomb Gigli.
As a film, Paycheck was released on Christmas Day, 2003 to a slightly
better than tepid response, with the nail ironically driven into the film's
success at roughly the same time as the announced break-up of America's
favorite, squeezable couple, Lopez and Affleck. Powell's score is a welcomed
change from the adequate, but not particularly inspiring romance genre he
sustained in 2003, with Paycheck reintroducing some strong action
material into his current sound.
As to be expected, Paycheck is a "race against time"
kind of score, rarely slowing down after the first cue allow the listener to
catch a breath. Perhaps surprising to casual listeners of the film and score
is the level of orchestral depth to the music, especially when the score
could just as easily have been loaded up with synthesized cellos and hard
electronic percussion. Instead, Paycheck is a score that takes a few
moments to build its steam before erupting into half-an-hour of stylish,
James Bond-like rhythms and brass. While suspenseful and slightly romantic
underscore begins to prevail late on the score's album, much of its running
time contains truly interesting orchestral action work. The ensemble is
mostly strings and brass with the accompaniment of synthesized/snare drums
and a piano. The piano performs the somewhat underdeveloped love theme for
the film, although its three performances on the album ("Mirror Message," "I
Don't Remember," and the finale of "Fait Accompli") offer very good contrast
to the action cues. The electronic accompaniment often sets the futuristic
rhythms in the score --a score that interestingly stays more rooted in the
present than the future or the science fiction genre. Its highlights are
easily the cues in which Powell lets rip with style in addition to
orchestral propulsion. The "Hog Chase Part 2" cue has all the makings of a
Bond score with some more of the campy elements of Joel McNeely's The
Avengers, a score that could come to mind several times when listening
to Paycheck. The final cue, a string quartet piece for "Rachel's
Party," is out of place, but not offensive by any means. The most impressive
aspect of Powell's work here is likely the simple, but true trend that the
composer has made a habit of providing strong scores for films that do not
deserve such sweat, toil, and talent. This issue was reinforced with
Gigli, and after the lack of expected success of Paycheck,
Powell's tendency of composing music better than its accompanying film is
becoming widely noticed. This may be a good turn of events for Powell, whose
career has nowhere to continue going but up. As for Paycheck
specifically, the score's lack of dominating thematic development is easily
countered by such vibrant action cues as "Hog Chase Part 2," which alone
elevates this score beyond the usual level of unsophisticated music you
often hear in John Woo films. ****
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Viewer Ratings and Comments:
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• 1. Main Title (3:10)
• 2. 20 Items (2:53)
• 3. Wolfe Pack (2:54)
• 4. Crystal Balls (2:09)
• 5. Mirror Message (3:37)
• 6. Imposter (3:53)
• 7. Hog Chase Part 1 (3:13)
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• 8. Hog Chase Part 2 (4:04)
• 9. I Don't Remember (1:28)
• 10. Tomorrow's Headlines (4:02)
• 11. Future Tense (7:14)
• 12. Fait Accompli (6:09)
• 13. The Finger (0:33)
• 14. Rachel's Party (2:47)
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Insert includes a list of performers, but no extra information about the score or film.
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