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Review of Man to Man (Patrick Doyle)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... if you consistently appreciate Patrick Doyle's fully
orchestral drama mode, his predictably optimistic tone and instrumental
techniques providing respect and glory to this tale of intellectual
exploration.
Avoid it... if you have difficulty embracing the enthusiastic tone of Doyle's melodramatic lyricism and bright fanfares, especially with the surprising absence of much native African influence in this work.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Man to Man: (Patrick Doyle) Director Regis Wargnier
extended his career of exploring challenging topics of the human
condition to the central region of Africa circa 1870 with his 2005 film,
Man to Man. From that area, a Scottish doctor and a female
associate capture two pygmies and transport them to Edinburgh for study.
The doctor's colleagues view the Africans as inhuman subjects to study,
though after discovering that these pygmies are actually intelligent
people in their own way, he is rejected by his community for suggesting
that they may not be an evolutionary throwback after all. While the plot
may seem on the surface to be progressive rhetoric packaged in a
historical drama, Wargnier has a tendency to prevail by instilling deep
emotional connections in his films. Unlike his most famous movies,
though, Man to Man didn't receive substantial international
recognition, despite the casting of Joseph Fiennes and Kristin Scott
Thomas in the lead roles. One constant in Wargnier's projects has been
the music of Scottish composer Patrick Doyle, and this collaboration has
often yielded the most dramatically poignant music of the latter man's
career. Dating back to Doyle's early days, these successes have included
Indochine, Une Femme Francaise, and Est-Ouest, and
their 2011 work together, La Ligne Droite, led to arguably the
finest piece of art to ever grace the composer's career. The general
posture of Doyle's music for Man to Man is similar to some of
those other scores, with an overflowing sense of melodrama evident once
again in the 2005 work. The director encourages him to establish and
maintain a very fluid and thematic personality in these scores, and that
lyricism was interestingly engrained in Man to Man in such a way
that Doyle largely refrains from challenging passages of suspense and
action altogether. There are brief moments of darker rhythmic
performances by the London Symphony Orchestra in this music, but the
tone is generally consistent with Doyle's children's scores. There is a
stubborn sense of optimism in his music that extends to Man to
Man, and enthusiasts of the composer will be pleased to hear many of
his standard techniques of glowing string layers on display once more.
On the periphery, it's difficult not to get the impression that John
Barry's historical output may have exercised some influence on this
music as well, the grandly melodic statements, subtle woodwind
friendliness, and muscular brass portions all reminiscent of ideas heard
in Born Free, Zulu, and Out of Africa.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of Doyle's approach to Man to Man is the absence of a substantial attempt to address the pygmies' origins with an intentionally foreign sound. The composer's synthetic and natively percussive usage is very restrained, occupying "Hitting Trees" and "Main Title and The Rapids" most notably on the album release and foreshadowing Rise of the Planet of the Apes in coloration. Otherwise, this score is unashamedly orchestral, balancing the various sections of the talented ensemble well. String flourishes of pure Doyle enthusiasm accompany a primary theme that adds other string layers to brass in Barry-like supporting roles. Much of the sensitivity of the score is conveyed by woodwinds, including the explorations of the relationship between cultures. Occasional snare rhythms augment the moments of nearly pompous grandeur; the pair of "Alexander Cut" and "Catching Elena" contain the most impressive, cymbal-crashing fanfare expressions of melody in the score, hailing back to Doyle's very beginnings in Henry V. Huge brass hits in "Main Title and The Rapids" are something of a tribute to Zulu, despite emulating Jerry Goldsmith as well. Wild string figures over timpani are reminiscent of Shipwrecked, which is appropriate given the similar sea-related applications here. Doyle accelerates these string performances in "The Kidnapping of Likola," a clear precursor of La Ligne Droite and perhaps the brief highlight of the score. The only usual element for Doyle that is distinctly missing is the piano. Thematically, Man to Man is extremely rich with development, almost constantly rotating between the composer's numerous representations. Two themes dominate the score, however, starting with the extended treatment of the main theme in "Suite from Man to Man." For some listeners, this grandly hopeful and respectful theme may sound too upbeat to tolerate, but that is the nature of Doyle's writing. Its interlude contains phrases that inform other ideas heard later in the score. Rising out of these is a suspense motif, best heard by itself in "Apes and Mankind." After "Paying the King," the main theme returns to its full glory in the duo of "In the Snow" and "The Return of Likola." Also playing a significant role in the score is the delicate theme for the pygmies, expressed typically on tentative woodwinds in answering two-note phrases (starting immediately in "Main Title and The Rapids") and eventually branching out into other sections. Doyle wraps this idea up nicely at the end of "The Return of Likola." Overall, Man to Man will be a predictably solid entry in the collection of any fan of Doyle's large drama mode, a quality listening experience throughout the length of its presentation on a limited MovieScore Media product. ****
TRACK LISTINGS:
Total Time: 38:56
NOTES & QUOTES:
The insert includes a brief synopsis about the film and information
about the score, including an interview with the composer.
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