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| Newman |
In the Blink of an Eye: (Thomas Newman) Is it God?
Is it the meaning of life? Or is it just an acorn? Such ponderances are
the domain of the 2026 examination of human fate in
In the Blink of
an Eye. After enjoying astounding success with his Pixar films,
director Andrew Stanton has stuck out wildly on his live-action
science-fiction epics, this one attempting to cram far too much human
history into the length of a single feature film. It tells of how people
are connected from 45,000 BC all the way through several hundred years
into the future, showing essentially the birth of modern humankind and
its inevitable struggle to survive at its end. The three storylines
share obvious parallels with
2001: A Space Odyssey as the same
inanimate object, in this case an acorn, is transferred through time and
space as a symbol of kindness and hope. The problem with
In the Blink
of an Eye is that each of its three settings could have used its own
feature-length narrative, and only the one set in the modern day is
given any substantial development. What matters the most is that the
concepts of motherhood and pertinacity are key, and that common
emotional bond was the focus of composer Thomas Newman. Having scored
Stanton's Pixar films to much acclaim, the composer was brought on board
this long-delayed production to supply emotional gravity and a touch of
otherworldly ambience to the storyline in ways that could effectively
bridge the centuries. The scorn hurled at the movie itself by critics
sometimes excused Newman's score as a redeeming element, a steady hand
that is as recognizable to one distinctively preferred style of the
2020's as anyone could imagine. Strategically, each section of the
timeline is treated slightly differently instrumentally, but not enough
so. He generally follows the blueprint of
Passengers but emulates
Tolkien and
White Bird in the more ethereal parts to
generate the desired sound but without obviously disparate tones or even
any meaningful thematic set for each time period. For many, it will thus
pass by anonymously.
Electronically ambient for much of its length but
eventually dominated by orchestra and choir,
In the Blink of an
Eye is a score defined by synthetic tones and accompanying specialty
instruments that are all highly recognizable for Newman. Electric bass
and electric guitar contribute to the technological side of the story
while acoustic guitar provides warmer tones against strings. Newman's
typical woodwind treatments provide the human connection alongside the
pervasive vocals. A deep adult choir of both genders supplies the sense
of importance to humanity, but the score also utilizes distant, mostly
female ensemble drones that are almost like a generation awaiting birth,
as seen in the third portion of the story. Solo female vocals follow the
concept of motherhood through the story, sometimes accompanied by
whispered spoken vocal effects bouncing between the two sides of the
soundscape to provide haunted representations of past connections.
Similarly employed are woodwinds oscillating as if emulating distant
flocks of geese in flight or singular descending bird calls as a
specific sound effect. Brass accompaniment is set further back in the
mix from the rest of the players but impactful when present. A piano
meanders in usual Newman fashion without stating any memorable motif in
the middle storyline, later yielding to synth versions along with
plucking strings that seem to suggest the AI of the future. Some of the
elements are heavily processed per usual, with the peripheral tones of
mandolin, tabla, or sitar suggested along the way. This ensemble and its
distinctive Newman mix are the key musical identifier for the film.
There exists no satisfyingly defined narrative in the score, the style
of the rendering remaining similar enough to suffice instead. While
there is no main theme, Newman uses ascending chord figures in cycles to
denote the passage of time. They're sometimes rooted in the major fifth
while other times in minor third, the phrases always resolving to key
and starting their next iteration from that posture. It's all very
pleasantly tonal for almost every moment in the score after early
dissonance in "Double Helix" and later "Longevity Enhanced Pilot" for
the broader science fiction element.
When not utilizing these progressions in
In the
Blink of an Eye, the score is purely ambient, neither exciting nor
abrasive. The score branches off from these common chord formations into
several singular motifs, starting with a tease at the outset of "Double
Helix" before shifting the figures to subtle layers on processed choir.
Ascending series of three and four notes bring some familiarity on
guitar to "Handprint." Shortened on piano are the nicely soothing piano
and nature effects of "Left Palm," this material reprised in the same
form during "Since When" with a better resolution. Newman explores these
cycles on solo female voice against tingling keyboarding and plucking in
"Fate of Humanity" before accelerating them to
Tolkien levels of
anxiety over a synth drone in "Time Passes." Heftier strings and
electric bass provide resonance for the progressions in "Mothers Die,"
this mode abbreviated to shorter fragments on violins in "Bad News." The
cycles struggle to gain tenderness in the otherworldly ambience of
"Artificial Womb" but turn folksy on solo voice and mandolin over
processed support in "An Ancient Wedding" for a nice deviation. The
cycle of progressions matures in "Golden Acorn" with a new theme over
electric guitar and brass and string depth prior to dissolving to
simpler tonal shifts of beauty with choir in "Atmospheric." Two cues
branch off to form highly distinct, easy highlights worth exploring for
any Newman collector in this score, hitting suddenly as the largely
orchestral "Good Fortune" explores a vibrant melodic expansion informed
by Newman's 1990's drama sound in robust stature. An offshoot of that
theme builds throughout "Joy x Remembrance" with great optimism in its
vocals. The large brass and percussion conclusion to this rousing cue
resolves the progression cycle once and for all. This is prime Newman as
much as "Good Fortune" was orchestrally. The entirety will please
collectors who relax to his easy-going, highly processed, global sound
of the era. The album of just over an hour is a mostly ambient
experience with a very strong final third. Even those highlights at the
end may not impress listeners bored by everything leading up to that
point, but don't give up on this score either way. You may find yourself
collecting fifteen to twenty minutes of it for a collection of Newman's
pleasantly ethereal dramas.
*** @Amazon.com: CD or
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| Bias Check: |
For Thomas Newman reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.15
(in 39 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.15
(in 62,403 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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There exists no official packaging for the digital album.
