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| Powell |
Two Weeks Notice: (John Powell) Perhaps the only
really interesting aspect of the 2002 romantic comedy
Two Weeks
Notice is the fact that actress Sandra Bullock produced the film
herself but managed to be completely outshined on screen by her leading
co-star. All of the charisma in this unlikely pair destined for a silver
screen kiss exists courtesy of Hugh Grant, who plays the extremely
wealthy businessman whose corporation redevelops dilapidated
neighborhoods in big cities with modern projects. Bullock is a feisty
attorney representing the other side, trying to protect historic
structures from unglamorous destruction at the hands of people like the
corporate scum represented by Grant's character. Circumstances lead
Bullock's character into the employ of Grant's, where she has constant
conflict with him until she resigns her position. At that point, romance
is a factor and the story ends with the necessary syrupy realization of
the developing connection. Although the film was obviously a Bullock
vehicle, her performance isn't really likable enough to allow
Two
Weeks Notice to compete with the modern classics of the romantic
comedy genre, and screenwriter Marc Lawrence's debut behind the camera
wasn't particularly inspiring, either. If everything about
Two Weeks
Notice seemed tethered too tightly to the tired formula of the
genre, then its score was guilty of contributing to that functional, but
rather stale flavor. Composer John Powell was already well on his way to
establishing himself apart from other collaborators of Hans Zimmer by
the time this assignment came along, though scores ranging from this one
to
Evolution,
Gigli, and others of little consequence
didn't gain him much interest from his otherwise action-oriented
fanbase. His work for these productions is workmanlike and pleasant,
sometimes, as in
Gigli, showing glimpses of true character in
instrumentation and the avoidance of genre stereotypes. Unfortunately,
Two Weeks Notice is as pleasantly boring as it could be, using a
small ensemble to charm its way through its role beyond the usual song
placements. It's music that Powell could have nearly adlibbed on the
spot during the recording sessions, relying upon a dozen or so musicians
in an intimate mix to convey easy harmony at low volumes.
The ensemble for
Two Weeks Notice consists of
piano, acoustic guitar, bass, Hammond organ, and percussion,
occasionally using very basic, synthetic depth from keyboards. The tempo
of the score shifts from soft rock to grooving swing and retro, jazz
band standards as it attempts to address the humor level of the scenes
in the middle of the film's narrative. At their height, as in "In the
Limo," the organ and wildly tapped percussion remind of David Holmes'
music for
Ocean's Eleven or
Analyze This, a 1970's-based
sound that was experiencing a comeback in film scores of the early
2000's. The humor of the seemingly improvised piano performances in cues
like "Bobcat Pretzel" has the restrained, but still snazzy and rolling
tone of the kind of piano music you'd expect to hear in upscale
department stores. The attitude becomes more abrasive in "Protest," in
which Powell uses the acoustic guitars to forcefully strum a thumping
rhythm of determination. Percussion and organ go wild in "Emergency,"
taking the tone of "Bobcat Pretzel" and stirring some genuine life into
it. Clapping effects inject levity into similar organ and piano
ramblings in "Sad Bowels." For most enthusiasts of the film, the
highlights of the score will likely come in the form of the somewhat
melancholy performances of the title theme and its various components
throughout the scenes of amour on screen. The theme is given a heart
immediately by solo piano in "Love Theme" and it very lightly graces
"Take Away," "Helicopter Ride," and "Finale" with both piano and guitar
identities. Its very slow tempo makes the theme difficult to recall just
a track or two after each performance, however, despite its
conservatively functional stance. At times, there were moments when the
film could have used a swell of orchestral depth, most notably in
"George's Speech," a cue that in its final form here seems badly
underplayed. Like the movie, the score doesn't build any sense of
inevitability in its music, plodding along in its concluding cues with
almost as much detached passion as was heard at the start. The lack of
any formation or resolution of character in the otherwise effective
score is symptomatic of a film that didn't have the greatest of
chemistry or climactic pay-off to begin with. The soundtrack for
Two
Weeks Notice has always remained a decent seller (because of the
songs from the film not heard on this album, leading to many angry
consumers), but unlike the gems that sometimes reside behind these pop
situations (as in Craig Armstrong's score for
Love Actually),
Powell's music for this film makes no lasting impression on you. If you
want a real kick, view all the angry one-star reviews this product got
at Amazon.com because of the hoards of morons that can't distinguish
between song and score albums.
*** @Amazon.com: CD or
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| Bias Check: |
For John Powell reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.28
(in 50 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.16
(in 52,492 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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The insert includes a list of performers, but no extra information about
the score or film.
