Much of this past year was spent talking about the visual aspect of movies, what with the whole 3-D revolution (or plague, depending on your perspective) and the increased sophistication of CGI effects. But let’s not forget the other half of the audio/visual equation.
There were plenty of musical moments to celebrate at the theater in 2010, and fans of film soundtracks had plenty to hang their hats on.
Here are our picks for the best of the bunch, and whether your tastes run to hip-hop, rock, or just a big, ol’ “BONNNNNG” sound,
6. ‘Burlesque’
Opinions on Christina Aguilera’s acting chops may vary wildly, but there’s no denying that the girl can sing like a siren; among the pop diva pantheon from which she sprang, she’s definitely the one with the talent (sorry, Britney). So it shouldn’t be surprising to hear her do quality work on the soundtrack to her I’m-gonna-make-it-after-all flick, “Burlesque.” What is surprising is the quality of the tunes, a collection of mostly torch jazz numbers by the likes of Linda Perry and Sia that really play to Aguilera’s strengths as a performer. And, lest we forget that she exists, Aguilera’s “Burlesque” co-star, Cher, even chimes in with a couple of songs. It probably won’t convert the indie rocker in your life to a pop lover, but if you were into the likes of “Moulin Rouge” and “Chicago,” this one should be right up your alley.5. ‘TRON: Legacy’
Seldom has there been a better match between soundtrack artist and movie than this. The two electronica masterminds that make up Daft Punk are ostensibly French, but we’re pretty sure they actually warped into our reality from some sort of robot dimension, so matching them with the digital delight of Disney’s “TRON” sequel seems like a no-brainer. What’s surprising is how conventionally orchestral a lot of this record is; those hoping for a full-length Daft Punk record here will be disappointed for at least half of it, until they get to the awesome electronic goodness of “Derezzed,” the 8-bit blast of “End of Line,” and the synthy “Solar Sailer.” Let’s face it: When the first thing most reviewers mention in the “positives” section of their critique of your film is the soundtrack, you know you’ve done something right in that regard.2. ‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’
Everybody likes to make fun of “Twilight” – adults, children, house pets – but the producers of the films threw a monkey wrench in the gears of the irony machine by stuffing the soundtrack to their latest effort full of awesome songs from ultra-cool indie bands. “Eclipse” is a who’s who of moody indie rock, featuring a lineup that would make Pitchfork’s brains explode: Beck, Bat For Lashes, Metric, Vampire Weekend, Muse, the Black Keys…the list goes on and on. Perhaps this all shouldn’t be surprising given that music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas made a name for herself turning television’s “The O.C.” into an avenue for indie rock exposure, but it’s still a very pleasant surprise to see the music from a “Twilight” film become the “Singles” soundtrack of the aughts.1. ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’
Set your hip meter to hyperspeed, kids, because one of the year’s coolest movies has what is absolutely the year’s coolest soundtrack. Director Edgar Wright and producer Nigel Godrich would have a hit on their hands if you based your judgment solely on the included pre-existing tracks from indie superduperstars like Broken Social Scene, Beachwood Sparks (contributing a kick-ass cover of Sade’s “By Your Side”), and Frank Black, but toss in the original songs written for the flick (Hipster hero Beck penned all the tunes for the title character’s band, Sex Bob-Omb), and you have 2010′s best conjunction of movie and music. See if you can make it through Metric’s sexy “Black Sheep” (performed on-screen by the sexy Brie Larson as the sexy Envy Adams) without swooning.NextMovie for the rest
xoxo
Carrie
0 comments:
Post a Comment