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A quick glance at Alexandre Desplat’s 2009 resume reveals a whopping seven titles. That’s pretty prolific for someone who offers up quality work each and every time out, rather than coasting on simplicity like a few other hard-working film music composers out there. This weekend alone there are two films bearing Desplat’s musical signature — “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox” — and he already has a few lingering entries on screen in “Julie & Julia” and “Coco Before Chanel.”
Jacques Audiard’s “A Prophet” lands on US screens in February, though it looks to figure in this year’s foreign film Oscar race, while perhaps the most anticipated film of Desplat’s upcoming projects is Terrence Malick’s “Tree of Life.” Desplat recently addressed an audience at the 50th Thessaloniki International Film Festival about working with Malick on the film:
Meanwhile, as part of Variety’s Eye on the Oscars coverage (at a spiffy, newly designed Award Central page), Jon Burlingame talks with Desplat about the volume of work he’s been cranking out as of late.
Says Desplat:
In the last two or three years, I’ve been called by more directors…directors I’ve dreamed of working with — Stephen Frears, Roman Polanski, Terrence Malick, Wes Anderson, David Fincher. All these gentlemen are amazing artists. So what do you do?…Chris Weitz called me back after (our collaboration on) ‘Golden Compass,’ and said he’s got this ‘New Moon’ in the ‘Twilight’ series. I just want to say yes to all of these people. I work twice as much as I used to, but maybe I also work more quickly. I’ve improved.
Indeed, I’d say he has. And his unfortunate loss last year to A.R. Rahman in the original score category for what was, quite frankly, a genius piece of work on David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” was a shame. But his day will come.
What film is most likely to bring Desplat into Oscar’s circle once again this year? I’m placing a bet on “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” a well-respected score, but there is also “Coco Before Chanel” lurking, beautiful work that Sony Classics is certainly trying to get noticed. Whatever the case, the most prolific working film music composer is sure to figure in this year’s race.
14 responses so far
1 11-17-2009 at 10:20 am
SJG said...
I adore Alexandre Desplat and I hope he pumps out seven scores a year for the rest of his life. Okay… so that might get old after a while, but you get the gist of the idea.
And not that I have anything against AR Rahman, but any one of the other nominees deserved it more (but I agree Desplat deserved it far above the others).
Oh, and I think Desplat totally got screwed for The Queen as well.
2 11-17-2009 at 10:34 am
JJ said...
Should composers, like actors, or even directors, get nominations for more than one piece of work per year?
Like Winslet being nommed for ‘Reader’ and ‘Revolutionary Road’ for Best Actress.
Desplat being nommed for (his 7 films), haha. etc.
3 11-17-2009 at 10:39 am
Brian said...
Winslet was actually nommed as Actress for ‘Reader’ and Supporting for ‘Revolutionary.’ The rules don’t allow multiple nominations in the same category for actors.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the rules would allow for multiple nominations for Desplat within the category but not one nom for multiple scores. Remember, the award is for “Oustanding Achievement in Composition” or something like that, not “Outstanding Composer.”
4 11-17-2009 at 10:43 am
Guy Lodge said...
Brian: Actually, Winslet only received the one nomination, in the lead category, for “The Reader.” A supporting nod for “Revolutionary Road” was never on the cards.
But yes, all non-acting categories do permit multiple nominations for individuals, as Steven Soderbergh, Roger Deakins and John Williams have proved in recent years.
5 11-17-2009 at 10:56 am
JJ said...
I thought I’d heard that Kate actually got top 5 votes for both Reader AND Revolutionary Road, but got more for the Reader, and so that is what stayed.
She also apparently got lots of votes in Supporting for Reader. I don’t think I dreamed that info. Though, maybe someone knows more about it than I.
6 11-17-2009 at 11:10 am
Marshall said...
I still stand by my statement that Desplat’s loss in the Best Score category for “Benjamin Button” is one of the most criminal snubs in the history of the Academy. That score is a masterpiece.
7 11-17-2009 at 11:12 am
Brian said...
Oops. Commenting from my desk at work, so I just went off of JJ’s first comment that Winslet got two nominations.
Thanks, Guy.
JJ: I’ve always wondered how they handle votes for multiple roles for the same actor. I know the rules say the performer can only be nominated for the film for which they receive the most votes, but I always thought they disregarded the votes for the lower scoring film, not combined them.
Anyone have more info on that? Guy? Kris?
8 11-17-2009 at 11:26 am
Andy said...
A composer can be nominated for multiple awards in the original score category. For example: 2005, when John Williams was nominated for both Munich and Memoirs of a Geisha.
9 11-17-2009 at 11:57 am
Puchika said...
“Lust, Caution” is still my favorite work from Desplat. “Wong Chia Chi’s Theme” is simply one of the most beautiful and emotional pieces of music I have ever heard
10 11-17-2009 at 1:03 pm
mitch said...
I think the Fantastic Mr. Fox score is his best of the year so far. It’s really remarkable if you havent heard it, and very much unlike anything he has done before. anyhow let’s hope he gets nominated for something this year
11 11-17-2009 at 1:06 pm
Jonathan Spuij said...
He’s gonna be the tie breaker for many Oscar pools. Which movies get nominated, probably two, and which one’s gonna win is really difficult at this point.
I love his work though I was slightly dissapointed with The Golden Compass. Seems that really big action/adventure scores aren’t his cup of tea.
12 11-17-2009 at 1:09 pm
geha714 said...
SJG is right over Desplat’s snub of “The Queen”.
He did the New Moon score? What?
13 11-17-2009 at 1:46 pm
Andrew said...
Desplat’s score for Julie and Julia is great. Did a wonderful job with Chéri and Fantastic Mr Fox as well. Hope he gets the Oscar this time! He deserved it last year though.
14 11-18-2009 at 3:44 am
Guy Lodge said...
Brian: This is taken directly from the Academy’s official rules, and should answer your question:
“The leading role and supporting role categories will be tabulated simultaneously. If any performance should receive votes in both categories, the achievement shall be only placed on the ballot in that category in which, during the tabulation process, it first receives the required number of votes to be nominated.
In the event that the performance receives the numbers of votes required to be nominated in both categories simultaneously, the achievement shall be placed only on the ballot in that category in which it receives the greater percentage of the total votes.
In the event that two achievements by an actor or actress receive sufficient votes to be nominated in the same category, only one shall be nominated using the preferential tabulation process and such other allied procedures as may be necessary to achieve that result.”
JJ: You’re right. Winslet was campaigned in supporting for “The Reader” (which is where most of the precursors, including SAG and the Globes) nominated her, so she obviously got a number of votes there. But as the votes were counted, her role in “The Reader” reached the required number in the lead category first, hence she was nominated there.