Tag Archives: Music

The History of Sound – Movie Review

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TL;DR – It is both profoundly moving and also downright frustrating. The visual construction was some of the best all year, yet it pondered along, afraid to commit to what its thesis statement was.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

A river flowing in a forest.

The History of Sound Review Introduction –

Today, we are looking at a film that existed in a state of dissonance for me, from the heights of beauty that you see throughout, to the despair of frustration. Some of this dissonance is purposely built into the film, an intentional conversation in subtext. However, while that is important, you can’t forget the actual text.
 
So, to set the scene, Lionel Worthing (Paul Mescal) has always had a special relationship with music since he was a child, able to feel it, see it, and manipulate it. It was this gift that took him in 1917 from the rural farm in Kentucky where he grew up to the Boston Conservatory to study music. It is here that he came across fellow student and composer, David White (Josh O’Connor). They had an instant bond, but war broke out, and David was drafted. David returned in 1919 and asked Lionel to join him on a trip collecting and recording folk songs, a trip that would have a marked impact on both their lives.

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A Complete Unknown – Movie Review

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TL;DR – A wild exploration of one of the most prominent musical writers of an age or two, but also of a time and movement in American music that I don’t think we’ll see again.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a screening of this film.

Bob arrives in New York.

A Complete Unknown Review –

There are a lot of musical biopics out there in the world, some more earned than others. But there is an understandable power behind them, given music’s ability to move your soul. But when you think back to which songwriters have had the most impact on music in the modern era, few names are in the same ballpark as Bob Dylan, and it makes sense to explore his life and the effect it did have and well is still having to this day.   

So, to set the scene, one cold New York night, a young Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) arrives at the hospital bed of his idol Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) after hearing he was unwell. Bob is an expert in Folk Music, having picked up sounds from across America. Luckily for Bob, who was also visiting Woody at that time, was famed folk musician Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), who brought the young man under his wings. Soon, Bob will be captivating the New York Folk Music scene, but being a singular talent comes with as many downsides as successes.  

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The Musical Scores of 2024 That Wowed Us

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One factor that I will always look out for in a film is the musical score. I can get caught in the world of music as it sits in my head in the days, weeks, months, and even the years that come. There is immense artistry in weaving emotions from music, having us slip into the world that is created, fear the oncoming dread even if we do not know why, or rejoice in the triumph of that final victory.

Music charts the cinematic world as it guides us, lifts us up, and yet it can also crush our souls with a couple of notes on a piano. This is its power.

Also, a reminder that this award is for Musical Scores and Original Songs only, so no needle drops or non-original songs, so prepping you for Wicked not being on this list right from the start. However, it would be remiss of me not to at least mention the cultural relevance of Deadpool & Wolverine using a choral version of Madonna’s Like a Prayer.

Our Highly Commended Films in 2024 are: Alien: Romulus, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Gladiator II, Hundreds of Beavers, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Transformers One


Our Highly Commended TV in 2024 are: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Shōgun & Star Wars: The Acolyte

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Better Man – Movie Review

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TL;DR – A fascinating look at a pop icon that takes some wild swings that don’t always pan out.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film

Warning – contains scenes that may cause distress.

Better Man Review –

Today, we look at one of the oddest films that I watched in 2024. On the one hand, this was a very boilerplate biopic that explored the life of pop icon Robbie Williams. However, they also make massive artistic choices throughout the film, most notably by depicting the focus of the biopic as an ape. This was a fascinating choice, but did it work? And that is the question we will explore today.

So, to set the scene, Robbie Williams (Robbie Williams/Jonno Davies/Adam Tucker) had spent most of his life growing up in the small town of Stoke-On-Trent. Living with his mother Janet (Kate Mulvany) and Nan Betty (Alison Steadman) after his father Peter (Steve Pemberton) left to try and be an entertainer. He hasn’t done well at school because he has these lyrics in his head and a drive to be famous. It’s a good thing that his first big break has just strolled into town as Nigel Martin-Smith (Damon Herriman) is looking for boys to be part of a new band, Take That, which is Robbie’s chance to get out of this town and make something of himself.   

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Kneecap – Movie Review

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TL;DR – Sex, drugs, and rap, with a dash of politics, violence, and only one reference to the Pope

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film

Arlo flips the bird at a government helicopter.

Kneecap Review –

Today, I start the process of catching up on all the films of 2024 that I missed on the first release, and the first one off the bat is a film out of Northern Ireland or the North of Ireland, depending on your perspective. I was drawn to this film because it is about the Irish language, which should be a part of my heritage, given my ancestry, but it is a gap that I want to explore today.

So, to set the scene, in the tumultuous world of Northern Ireland, contestation of politics can be everywhere, even in language. It is here where so-called ceasefire babies grew up. In this world lives Naoise “Móglaí Bap” Ó Cairealláin (Naoise “Móglaí Bap” Ó Cairealláin), Liam Óg “Mo Chara” Ó Hannaidh (Liam Óg “Mo Chara” Ó Hannaidh), and JJ “DJ Próvaí” Ó Dochartaigh (JJ “DJ Próvaí” Ó Dochartaigh). They are dealing with a multitude of issues, like Naoise’s father, Arlo (Michael Fassbender), living undercover after faking his death. In the shadows of the Irish Language Act debate, the three find themselves coming together for a drug-filled night of music-making. Where they discover a way to bring the Irish language to a new generation.

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Doctor Who: The Devil’s Chord – TV Review

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TL;DR – It generally hits the right chord, with a villain who commits to the note, and a Doctor who is ready to conduct

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

The Doctor and Ruby on the famous crosswalk near Abby Road.

Doctor Who Review –

When they first announced this first season, the one episode they focused on was the one where we get to run into The Beatles. It has been everywhere, and they have been dropping songs and images to the lead-up. So, I am relieved that we got to dive into this episode in the first batch, along with Space Babies.

So to set the scene, in 1925, Mr Timothy Drake (Jeremy Limb) is showing a student, Henry Arbinger (Kit Rakusen), the joys of the piano when the conversation leads to the ‘Devil’s Chord’, which is just a fancy name for a tri-tone, but was banned less it let the devil enter the room. Not that anyone takes that seriously, but not until someone starts knocking from the piano case and the devil, well, a demon, well, something called Maestro (Jinkx Monsoon) bursts forth. Well, The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) asked Ruby (Millie Gibson) where she wanted to go, and she has only one place in mind: Abby Row, 1965, to see The Beatles record their first album, and the Doctor is there to oblige. Insert obligatory crosswalk photo here. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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The Musical Scores of 2023 That Wowed Us

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One factor that I will always look out for in a film is the musical score. I can get caught in the world of music as it sits in my head in the days, weeks, months, and even the years that come. There is immense artistry in weaving emotions from music, having us slip into the world that is created, fear the oncoming dread even if we do not know why, or rejoice in the triumph of that final victory.

Music charts the cinematic world as it guides us, lifts us up, and can crush our souls. This is its power.

Our Highly Commended in 2023 are The Boy and the Heron, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, M3GAN, Red, White & Brass & They Cloned Tyrone
Our Best TV Music in 2023 are Ahsoka: Season 1, Doctor Who: 2023 Specials, The Last of Us: Season 1, Loki: Season 2 & Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season 2

So, without further ado, these are the musical scores that moved us in 2023. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers ahead for the films in question.


And the Nominees are –

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Mapping Enya’s Orinoco Flow – Map-It

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TL;DR – We map all the references made in Enya’s Orinoco Flow from Bali to Cali, far beneath the Coral Sea

Ocean and Clouds

Mapping Orinoco Flow –

Some songs are so iconic that you can recognise them by a single chord or word. For me [and I assume many others], one of those songs is Enya’s Orinoco Flow. The song has a rare power to rip me back to the early 1990s in a way I don’t think any other work of media can.

Orinoco Flow is a cultural touchstone, so of course, it has been used in films and TV, both full of irony or used with sincerity. Recently, it was used to strong effect in Gran Turismo, and as I was listening to it, the song came alive. For maybe the first time, I didn’t just vibe with it. I listened to the lyrics.

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Red, White & Brass – Movie Review

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TL;DR – A film that brings you joy from the moment they start in a house covered in Tongan flags till those final credits roll.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

The band performs.

Red, White & Brass Review –

There are many emotions that cinema can bring forth, and if I am honest, my favourite is joy. You are just sitting there beaming with a smile stretching from one side of your face to the other. It is so easy for films to come off as disingenuous that it is hard to nail joy in its purest form. However, today, we look at a movie that not only nails it, it revels in it.

So to set the scene, it is Wellington, and the 2011 Rugby World Cup is descending on New Zealand. Flags are popping up all across the city as everyone gets into the celebratory mode. But Veni (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) was not quite prepared to find his house covered, and I mean covered, in the red/white cross of Tonga’s flag. His best friend Maka (John-Paul Foliaki) has been trying to get enough money so all of his church can see the Tonga v France match live. However, when several of his schemes fall through, he discovers a way forward, but it just means getting everyone to become a proficient brass band, oh and only in a couple of weeks.

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Tár – Movie Review

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TL;DR – A phenomenal performance in a severely dull film   

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene

Disclosure – I paid to see this film

Records on the floor.

Tár Review –

This will be a difficult film to review because it is a movie of two very distinct parts, performance and narrative. Thus it becomes a work of incredible highs and deep lows, and trying to pass that feels like climbing a mountain. But climb we will as we dive into this fascinatingly frustrating film.

So to set the scene, Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) is at the height of her career. She is the first female chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, being asked to do masterclasses at the Juilliard School, she has a book coming out Tár on Tár, and she has a beautiful homelife with her wife Sharon Goodnow (Nina Hoss) and daughter Petra (Mila Bogojevic). But there is a growing sense that Tár is walking on shifting sands as actions of the past start bubbling to the surface.     

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