Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you enjoy consistent and pleasant expressions of romantic, Italian-flavored music of conservative anonymity. Avoid it... if you are looking for overwhelming love themes or a truly authentic Italian personality in rhythmic bounce or stylish solo performances. Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Under the Tuscan Sun: (Christophe Beck) After spending two years on the New York Times best-seller list, Frances Mayes' novel, "Under the Tuscan Sun," was adapted to the big screen by director/screenwriter Audrey Wells in late 2003. The film represented a return to Hollywood escapism from the days when Mediterranean locations were the place of Americans' romantic dreams. In the story, a successful, but recently divorced writer in San Francisco (Diane Lane in a role that definitely didn't match her writhing nudity in the just previous Unfaithful) struggles with writer's block, and she buys a run down Tuscan villa as a project that could help her regain her writing inspiration. Along the way, she is charmed by the scenery and people of the area, and the predictable flow of the storyline leads to a pleasant, heartwarming movie-going experience. With the humor and a subject matter rooted firmly in simple themes of romance, Under the Tuscan Sun is ultimately what most would refer to as a "chick flick," and critics generally embraced it with moderate praise. Wells had collaborated with composer Christophe Beck for one motion picture (Guinevere) prior to Under the Tuscan Sun, and she called upon him to combine the spirit of American and Mediterranean music into one lushly romantic score for this occasion. Beck was a veteran of mostly television work, best known for his Emmy award-winning music for the very popular "Buffy" series, and that success was beginning to send him on a journey for more feature film assignments. With a vow to make every one of his new scores better than all of his previous efforts, Beck followed Wells' wishes to weave three elements together into his score: the contemporary style of the primary, modern character, the sensibilities of Nino Rota's typical music for the genre, and a general personality suitable for the comic and romantic elements of the light-hearted Italian lifestyle. The end result of his endeavors for Under the Tuscan Sun isn't polarized as much as one might think, with neither the modern nor the traditional Italian aspects taking complete control of the music. It's the definition of "playing it conservative" in the film music industry. The ensemble employed by Beck for Under the Tuscan Sun is very typical for this specific genre and setting. He begins with a partial orchestra (heavy on the strings and including only four brass players) and spices it up with solo roles for traditional guitars, a piano, accordion, several woodwinds, and a boy soprano (heard specifically in two cues). With these players, Beck chooses to form a textured score of pleasant ambience rather than one of obvious, thematic domination. He walks the line between a foreign interpretation of highly thematic Italian life (as expressed best by Rachel Portman in Only You) and the smaller-scale style of authenticity that you would hear in a Nicola Piovani or Luis Bacalov score for the same genre (such as Il Postino, which is perhaps the best known such soundtrack in America). Despite the talk from the director about three distinct styles in the score, the overarching approach is a very consistent atmosphere that doesn't stray from its set personality, even in the non-Italian locations. There is a hint of professionalism in the systematic rhythms heard in the opening cue (not to mention a slight touch of Thomas Newman), but for the most part, the Italian flavor is established right off the bat. With the piano and guitars leading the way, Beck pleasantly offers one lightly textured cue after another, occasionally including an accordion or keyboard over an appropriately lazy rhythm. While he does present a handful of thematic swells opposite the moments of anonymous, conversational material, Under the Tuscan Sun plays without the sense of grand scope that you might expect from the setting. There is no overwhelming, memorable theme that lifts you up and transports you to Tuscany, although Beck compensates just enough in the instrumentation and rhythm of the music to suffice in convincing the listener of its authenticity. Perhaps more troubling to the score is the lack of stylish swing, or true Mediterranean spirit from the orchestral or solo performers. This is something you hear the native Italian composers do with great ease, and whether the problem is inherent in Beck's writing or simply in the performance of that composition, Under the Tuscan Sun lacks a certain amount of pizzazz, energy, and flamboyance that could have helped the score transcend the oceanic barrier between cultures. Overall, it's still an easy listening experience, though not the most convincing for a setting under the Tuscan sun. *** Track Listings:
Total Time: 48:27
All artwork and sound clips from Under the Tuscan Sun are Copyright © 2003, Hollywood Records. The reviews and notes contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Filmtracks Publications. Audio clips can be heard using RealPlayer but cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 9/28/03, updated 3/12/09. Review Version 4.1 - PHP (Filmtracks Publications). Copyright © 2003-2013, Christian Clemmensen. All rights reserved. |
