Filmtracks Traffic Rank: #537
Written 2/4/03, Revised 3/2/09
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Buy it... if you seek an affable companion album from an equally creative
film, or if you easily fall in love with tributes to the lush themes from
Hollywood's Golden Age.
Avoid it... if you're listening to Armageddon at this exact moment
and you can't fathom why anyone would find French tongue in cheek comedy music
to be remotely tolerable.
8 Femmes (8 Women): (Krishna Levy) One of the most creative
films to come out of any country in the 2000's, François Ozon's international
hit 8 Femmes (or 8 Women) is a large-scale comedic parody of
murder mysteries and musical productions from yesteryear. It's the French story
of eight oddly matched women who get stuck in the mansion of a murdered man, and
through their outwitting of the others, they pursue the mystery and attempt to
stay out of each other's suspicions. The fact that the film is an utterly
ridiculous musical is what gives it a comedic personality and undeniable charm.
Each of the eight women performs her own song, which is no small event given
that the eight actresses are well known in France and aren't seen in such roles
everyday. The melodies and instrumental styles are all interpretations of famous
songs from the 1960's through 1980's (along the lines of what Baz Luhrmann did
with Moulin Rouge, but executed with a playful tongue in cheek attitude).
Likewise, the orchestral score by Krishna Levy is a parody of sorts, taking aim
at both the classic romance and suspense scores of Miklós Rózsa
and Bernard Herrmann (respectively). The overall result is a delightful
listening experience, but it is so overwhelmingly unique that it exists in a
corner of film music almost completely by itself. The eight songs, adapted by
Mick Lanaro, are carefully chosen to reflect each character's personality. They
range from funky 1960's dance hits to lofty Parisian jazz, modern light tangos
to longing 1970's ballads. Their diversity speaks volumes about the characters,
and the arrangement of the songs, while distinctly separate from the score in
style, is well handled. It is undoubtedly the kind of work that will attract its
small audience to the individual characters that the listener finds the most
appealing in the story, and for those who can't speak French, then the genre and
tone of the material is really the only identity available with which to
distinguish each song. The generic imitation of American 50's teenie-bopper rock
in "Papa T'es Plus Dans L'coup" takes advantage of Ludivine Sagnier's younger
voice to provide the collection's most spirited performance.
The score by Levy is perhaps the less desired part of the
production and album if you were to poll the masses of viewers of the film.
Despite its far less enthusiastic attitude and rather short duration, however,
it shouldn't be summarily disregarded. The fluid thematic simplicity that it
exudes is even reminiscent of early Elmer Bernstein music, stirring a whimsical
atmosphere of innocence that rarely exists in the Digital Age of film scores.
Tender moments are handled with elegant duets between piano and cello,
performing a title theme that is slightly reminiscent of several classical
progressions of familiarity but still effective. Levy passes the melody around
between players in the ensemble with ease (especially the woodwinds). In its
most lush incarnations, as immediately heard in "8 Femmes 8 Fleurs," the retro
style of Levy's writing, along with a hint of proper European sensibilities,
reaches towards the territory of a few of Philippe Rombi's comedies and dramas
from later in the decade. Likewise, the suspense tip-toes around the chord
progressions and tense shades in the high ranges often used in the string
section by Herrmann, resulting in a score that could bring a smile to the faces
of veteran film score collectors. The parody is precise enough to be both
recognizable and effective, but concurrently funny enough in its interpretations
to stay true to its comedy genre. The performances of the score by the Bulgarian
Symphony Orchestra are definitely underpowered in the bass region, a
circumstance not assisted by the mix of the album presentation. While this
attribute of the recording may suffice to maintain an airy atmosphere in the
film, it diminishes the impact of the score's attempt at weightier drama. After
all, the best parody material is that which takes itself absolutely seriously.
The album is a gorgeous production that identifies each song with its character
and provides extensive lyrics and song identification credits. Because the
product was released first by Warner Brothers in France, the majority of
existing albums on the market at the time of the film's debut in 2002 were in
French. Rhino re-distributed the album in the U.S. six months later,
unsuccessfully attempting to extend the concept into an international venue. The
identical contents of the two albums, though, are still a comedy riot and will
appeal to listeners across all generations.
**** @Amazon.com: CD or
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