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Review of Un Homme et Son Chien (Philippe Rombi)

FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:

Buy it... if you easily become encapsulated in piano-dominated light romance with a fair dose of melancholy heart, in which case this lovely score is your ticket to late night sorrow.

Avoid it... if you're expecting to hear music with as much dramatic range as Rombi's classic 2007 score for Angel, which remains a superior alternative because of its greater exposition of fully symphonic magnificence.

FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:

Un Homme et Son Chien (A Man and His Dog): (Philippe Rombi) A remake of the 1952 film Umberto D., Francis Huster's Un Homme et Son Chien is best known internationally as the return of French acting legend Jean-Paul Belmondo to the screen after seven years of recovering from a debilitating stroke. The film opened quietly to art houses in France in late 2008 and experienced a limited theatrical release across Europe in early 2009, failing to quickly acquire a distributor for an American art house run. Its story is one particularly appropriate for Belmondo, allowing him to reflect on his life as an elderly man who is kicked out of his home by his partner and is only accompanied by his dog. The reflections of his character on society and those he meets in his waning days have been applauded as bittersweet because of their representation of Belmondo himself. Absent a wider distribution, the tearjerker is really known only to fans of the actor and enthusiasts of composer Philippe Rombi, who is quickly developing into one of France's foremost writers of romance music for the screen. Upon the recognition of his entry into the film scoring scene in the late 2000's, Rombi has competed favorably with Alexandre Desplat for the title of "France's next Georges Delerue," and while Desplat has managed to make the transition to international cinema and major awards recognition, it could be argued that Rombi's more fluid sense of lyricism is better representative of Delerue's style. His ability to convey giddy exuberance and solemn heartbreak within the same beautifully harmonic methodology has been a revelation for collectors of the late master of romance. Rombi's early ascension culminated in a gloriously fantastic score for the 2007 romantic fantasy Angel, merging both the lyrical sensibilities of delicate string and piano themes in the major key with melodramatic minor-key sequences of ominous character, even including a light choir with his orchestral ensemble. Those seeking a reprise of the scope of Angel in Un Homme et Son Chien will be disappointed, because while the same general techniques are applied with similar emotional strokes here, the depth of the music is restrained to far more sparse constructs to reflect the old man's contemplations. As with anyone competing to take the symbolic place of Delerue in the industry, evocative themes are an absolute must, and Rombi provides no shortage of such identity to Un Homme et Son Chien. Stripped of the fantasy element, the solo performances within this score are closer in relation to Mediterranean flavor, the piano carrying the majority of the load.

No less than three major themes and a darker sub-motif are explored during almost the entire length of the work, yielding few moments of individual character. The consistency in each of the three major themes' constructs and orchestration gives the whole a somewhat one-dimensional feel, though the three more ambitious cues of darker material help to easy a potentially monotonous presentation on album. Slight waltz rhythms and perpetually sparse constructs strongly represent the concept of loneliness, though the Belmondo character is served with a theme of slightly redemptive bounce. From its full introduction in "Theme de Charles" to the source-like piano rendition of "Le Pianiste de l'Hotel" and the burst of glee in the middle of "Final le Train," this theme gives the score its rare feelings of optimism. The primary theme is a free-floating idea of greater elegance, rooted in the minor key and opening and closing the score with its most quietly melodramatic material (and several performances by lush strings and woodwinds). A deliberate solo acoustic guitar conveys the theme with equal emotion in "Seul." Rivaling it in somber appeal is the theme for his former partner, Jeanne, which occupies three cues early on the album and offers a phenomenal flute performance in "Charles et Jeanne." Ironically overshadowing the extremely consistent piano dominance of Un Homme et Son Chien are the three cues of fuller symphonic action, highlighted by a rhythmically tumultuous sub-theme that will appeal specifically to Angel enthusiasts. The resolute "Rester Digne" reminds of Stephen Warbeck's Shakespeare in Love and "Final - Le Train" touches upon the majesty of John Barry's 1980's melodrama (with brief chorus). The most striking of these cues is "Ouverture" and, most specifically, the rambling piano rhythm that opens it. Ultimately, these short bursts of energy occupy less than ten percent of an otherwise depressing and minimally rendered score. You may find yourself seeking out the more active material in Un Homme et Son Chien, the cues with an abundance of fluttering treble percussion and woodwinds (a la Desplat), but even these fail to pull the score from its intended depths of despair. It's beautiful music, and a decent international release on album has made it reasonably available, but expect its intimate portions to dominate. For those who can become encapsulated in piano-driven light romance with a fair dose of melancholy heart, this is your ticket to late night sorrow. Only the score's somewhat repetitive nature and relatively sparse constructs, despite their necessity for the subject matter, restrain it from a higher recommendation. Regardless, Rombi continues to step a little further into Delerue's shoes.  ****

TRACK LISTINGS:

Total Time: 45:08

• 1. Un Homme et Son Chien Theme (4:31) • 2. Ouverture (2:27) • 3. Le Piano de Jeanne (1:50) • 4. Charles et Jeanne (1:51) • 5. Theme de Charles (2:50) • 6. Les Souvenirs (0:55) • 7. Le Matin du Depart (2:29) • 8. Mon Chien (1:30) • 9. Charles et Leila (3:31)

• 10. Recueillement (1:40) • 11. Je Ne Sais Plus Ou Aller (1:26) • 12. Fais le Beau (1:00) • 13. Rester Digne (1:27) • 14. Seul (3:03) • 15. Le Pianiste de l'Hotel (1:56) • 16. Final - Le Train (3:54) • 17. Generique Fin (4:30) • 18. Un Homme et Son Chien (3:58)

NOTES & QUOTES:

The insert includes no extra information about the score or film.

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