Buy it... if no quantity of conservatively pretty romantic comedy underscore for small ensembles is enough to satisfy your desire for intimate piano, guitar, bass, organ, and percussion performances of easy harmony.

Avoid it... if you demand at least a minimal lasting impression to be left upon you by your film scores, even ones as light and inconsequential as this.

Powell

Two Weeks Notice: (John Powell) Perhaps the only really interesting aspect of the 2002 romantic comedy Two Weeks Notice is the fact that actress Sandra Bullock produced the film herself but managed to be completely outshined on screen by her leading co-star. All of the charisma in this unlikely pair destined for a silver screen kiss exists courtesy of Hugh Grant, who plays the extremely wealthy businessman whose corporation redevelops dilapidated neighborhoods in big cities with modern projects. Bullock is a feisty attorney representing the other side, trying to protect historic structures from unglamorous destruction at the hands of people like the corporate scum represented by Grant's character. Circumstances lead Bullock's character into the employ of Grant's, where she has constant conflict with him until she resigns her position. At that point, romance is a factor and the story ends with the necessary syrupy realization of the developing connection. Although the film was obviously a Bullock vehicle, her performance isn't really likable enough to allow Two Weeks Notice to compete with the modern classics of the romantic comedy genre, and screenwriter Marc Lawrence's debut behind the camera wasn't particularly inspiring, either. If everything about Two Weeks Notice seemed tethered too tightly to the tired formula of the genre, then its score was guilty of contributing to that functional, but rather stale flavor. Composer John Powell was already well on his way to establishing himself apart from other collaborators of Hans Zimmer by the time this assignment came along, though scores ranging from this one to Evolution, Gigli, and others of little consequence didn't gain him much interest from his otherwise action-oriented fanbase. His work for these productions is workmanlike and pleasant, sometimes, as in Gigli, showing glimpses of true character in instrumentation and the avoidance of genre stereotypes. Unfortunately, Two Weeks Notice is as pleasantly boring as it could be, using a small ensemble to charm its way through its role beyond the usual song placements. It's music that Powell could have nearly adlibbed on the spot during the recording sessions, relying upon a dozen or so musicians in an intimate mix to convey easy harmony at low volumes.

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The ensemble for Two Weeks Notice consists of piano, acoustic guitar, bass, Hammond organ, and percussion, occasionally using very basic, synthetic depth from keyboards. The tempo of the score shifts from soft rock to grooving swing and retro, jazz band standards as it attempts to address the humor level of the scenes in the middle of the film's narrative. At their height, as in "In the Limo," the organ and wildly tapped percussion remind of David Holmes' music for Ocean's Eleven or Analyze This, a 1970's-based sound that was experiencing a comeback in film scores of the early 2000's. The humor of the seemingly improvised piano performances in cues like "Bobcat Pretzel" has the restrained, but still snazzy and rolling tone of the kind of piano music you'd expect to hear in upscale department stores. The attitude becomes more abrasive in "Protest," in which Powell uses the acoustic guitars to forcefully strum a thumping rhythm of determination. Percussion and organ go wild in "Emergency," taking the tone of "Bobcat Pretzel" and stirring some genuine life into it. Clapping effects inject levity into similar organ and piano ramblings in "Sad Bowels." For most enthusiasts of the film, the highlights of the score will likely come in the form of the somewhat melancholy performances of the title theme and its various components throughout the scenes of amour on screen. The theme is given a heart immediately by solo piano in "Love Theme" and it very lightly graces "Take Away," "Helicopter Ride," and "Finale" with both piano and guitar identities. Its very slow tempo makes the theme difficult to recall just a track or two after each performance, however, despite its conservatively functional stance. At times, there were moments when the film could have used a swell of orchestral depth, most notably in "George's Speech," a cue that in its final form here seems badly underplayed. Like the movie, the score doesn't build any sense of inevitability in its music, plodding along in its concluding cues with almost as much detached passion as was heard at the start. The lack of any formation or resolution of character in the otherwise effective score is symptomatic of a film that didn't have the greatest of chemistry or climactic pay-off to begin with. The soundtrack for Two Weeks Notice has always remained a decent seller (because of the songs from the film not heard on this album, leading to many angry consumers), but unlike the gems that sometimes reside behind these pop situations (as in Craig Armstrong's score for Love Actually), Powell's music for this film makes no lasting impression on you. If you want a real kick, view all the angry one-star reviews this product got at Amazon.com because of the hoards of morons that can't distinguish between song and score albums. ***   Amazon.com Price Hunt: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For John Powell reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.05 (in 38 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.05 (in 42,939 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.