In Contention

Tag: Best Music

  • Listen to Beth Rowley’s ‘You’ve Got Me Wrapped Around Your Little Finger’ from ‘An Education’

    Beth Rowley in An EducationWe skipped one of these on Monday so we’ll double up today with a pair of tunes from Lone Scherfig’s “An Education.”

    “You’ve Got Me Wrapped Around Your Little Finger” from singer Beth Rowley featured prominently in the trailer for Scherfig’s film and, frankly, given the breezy, nostalgic flavor of the tune, most may not have realized that it was an original song.  But it is, and one of the more beautiful entries in the category this year.

    The song’s usage in the film hits the subtext on the nose but it’s a rather beautiful moment nevertheless.  Carey Mulligan’s young, unassuming Jenny begins to fall hard for Peter Sarsgaard’s David as Rowley ramps up her vocals in the background via live performance.  The contextual implementation (and the fact that Rowley gets to sing her tune on screen — quite the unique circumstance) leads me to believe this could be more of a contender than we think at the moment.

    Have a listen to the track below and tell us what you think.

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  • Listen to Anika Noni Rose’s ‘Almost There’ from ‘The Princess and the Frog’

    Anika Noni RoseWednesday we featured Dr. John’s “Down in New Orleans” from Disney’s traditional animation entry “The Princess and the Frog,” which is expanding considerably this weekend.  Today we’re happy to offer up what could be the second-best play at a nomination for the film in this category, “Almost There.”

    Singing on the Randy Newman-penned track is Anika Noni Rose, who of course performs the voice of Tiana, the princess of the film’s title.  There isn’t much to be said about the song itself except that it’s a typical piece of break-out-into-song fluff that happens to come during a fairly key moment (and, therefore, has a leg up given the voting practice of viewing clip reels for the contenders).

    Newman has also said this and “Down in New Orleans” are the best songs from the film, though Ne-Yo’s “Never Knew I Needed” and Jim Cummings’s “Ma Belle Evangeline” (a really fun tune) are also getting some campaign focus.  But have a listen to “Almost There” below and tell us what you think.

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  • TECH SUPPORT: Best Original Song

    Jeff Bridges in Crazy HeartOver the last five months, Gerard has diligently canvassed and re-canvassed the various crafts categories here at In Contention.  The one category we have held back on all this time, as contenders have slowly fallen into place, was Best Original Song.  Today, it’s time to dig into the field.

    This has turned into something of a banner year for original songs in feature films.  We’ve had the great pleasure of bringing a number of hopefuls to you via our “listen to” posts, and look forward to continuing that into the new year.  But inevitably, frontrunners are bound to show up, and I think we can successfully narrow the field now.

    Before diving in, it’s worth reiterating the voting process in this category.  I’ll simply let the Academy’s rule book speak for itself:

    “An original song consists of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the motion picture. There must be a clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition (not necessarily visually presented) of both lyric and melody, used in the body of the motion picture or as the first music cue in the end credits.

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  • Listen to Dr. John’s ‘Down in New Orleans’ from ‘The Princess and the Frog’

    Dr. JohnIf you take a gander at the Contenders section you’ll note that, by far, the film with the most stabs at this year’s Best Original Song category is Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog.” But interestingly enough (and perhaps a smart move), it seems only four of the tracks are receiving a substantial campaign.  We’re happy to feature one of them today.

    “Down in New Orleans” was written by Randy Newman (along with the rest of the songs and score from the film).  It was performed by blues legend Dr. John and serves as something of a theme track for the film.  It kicks off the festivities early on and has a reprise later int eh film, just before Ne-Yo’s “Never Knew I Needed” wraps things up.

    In my opinion, this and “Almost There” (which we will feature Friday) are the film’s best shots at nominations, based on how they are used in the film.  But at the end of the day, I think we can probably count on seeing a pair of tracks from this traditional animation entry make their way into the line-up.

    Have a listen below and tell us what you think.

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  • Listen to U2’s ‘Winter’ from ‘Brothers’

    U2A few weeks ago we told you about U2’s “Winter,” an original track from Jim Sheridan’s “Brothers.” Today we’re happy to feature the tune as we have a number of other contenders in the race for Best Original Song.

    “Winter” was conceived originally for the film.  Confusion has popped up as to whether that was the case, what with the tune accompanying the Irish band’s album “No Line on the Horizon” in conjunction with an Anton Corbijn short film.  But when Sheridan set about making “Brothers,” he in fact asked his old friends to cook something up for the film.

    In my opinion, it’s bottom-tier U2, full of a number of ideas that form a menagerie more than a cohesive song.  The lyrics are a bit too on the nose for my taste, too, but they’re clearly written for the narrative of the film.  The song comes in at the end of the film, over the credits, so it could be a tough sell for those reasons.

    Have a listen below and tell us what you think.

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  • Danny Elfman meets Ennio Morricone

    Hans ZimmerThat’s what I’ve decided the Hans Zimmer score for “Sherlock Holmes” is.  I’ve been listening to it all weekend.  The themes present in that brief snippet we led off yesterday’s Oscar Talk are felt throughout in different ways, but mostly I keep getting a spaghetti western homage.  Specifically, the mandolin picking of Morricone’s “Once Upon a Time in the West” score gets a bold tip of the hat, mixed with a jaunty rhythm that just puts a smile on your face.

    I know when I brought this up last week a number of people thumbed their nose at Zimmer, and that’s fine.  I get the animosity to an extent.  But even with the homages, this is a pretty substantial, creative piece of work, in my book.  And I can’t be pegged as being in the tank for bombast because my favorite score of the year is probably still Mark Bradshaw’s subtle work on “Bright Star.”

    I thought I’d offer up the first track on the “Holmes” score, a bit called “Discombobulate.”  Have a listen and tell us what you think:

    [audio:http://www.incontention.com/audio/discombobulate.mp3]

  • Listen to Leona Lewis’s ‘I See You’ from ‘Avatar’

    Leona LewisWe were going to be featuring U2’s track “Winter” from Jim Sheridan’s “Brothers” today, but we’ll hold off until Monday on that as the love theme from one of the most anticipated films of the year has crossed our path this morning.

    Leona Lewis was revealed a few weeks ago as the crooner responsible for “I See You,” the central tune of James Cameron’s “Avatar.” I imagine that, much like Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” in “Titanic,” the melodies of the track will be evident throughout James Horner’s score.  No one has seen the film yet (December 10 is the date for me), so it’s difficult to say exactly how the song is implemented in the film.  I do know it’s a closing credits tune, but again, it could have a presence throughout.

    Dion’s song, of course, won the Oscar in 1997, so it’s fair to think “I See You” will be a formidable contender here, but in this brave new (arbitrary) world of Academy music branch voting, all bets are off.  This is a bit, I don’t know, overly produced, a bit schmaltzy, but I’ll hold off full judgment on it until I saw how it’s used in the film.  It has striking parallels to “My Heart Will Go On” here and there, though.

    Have a listen to the song below and tell us what you think.

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  • Is Hans Zimmer someone to watch for ‘Sherlock Holmes?’

    (from left) Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock HolmesI’ve been hearing from vested interests for a long time now that Hans Zimmer’s score for Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes” is something quite extraordinary.  I haven’t paid a lot of mind because it’s all jockeying for position and putting your best foot forward this time of year, etc.

    But the chatter is getting louder lately as more and more people see the film in-house.  It’s the one element that keeps being brought up and I have to wonder if there might be something to this.

    I have no idea what to expect.  Frankly I would have assumed something fairly standard for a film like this, but truly, Zimmer has been doing great work even in films that missed on nearly every other level (like, say, “The Da Vinci Code”).  He’s a seven-time nominee after all, despite his flirtations with action-oriented entertainments.  So it’s fair to assume we may be in for a pleasant surprise.

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  • Listen to Overtone’s ‘Colorblind’ from ‘Invictus’

    Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon with OvertoneOn Wednesday we featured the original song “9,000 Days” from Clint Eastwood’s “Invictus” from South African boy band Overtone (featuring vocalist Yollandi Nortjie).  Today we’re happy to bring you the second track, “Colorblind.”

    Overtone was reportedly “talent-scouted” by Eastwood’s wife Dina when she attended the group’s tribute to Freddy Mercury.  Eastwood dug the melodies and asked for a few demos to be used in the film.  So on one hand, it’s nice that he’s giving a leg up to an up-and-coming group.

    The song is used in the film, quite suddenly, as the background music for a dramatic helicopter entrance by Morgan Freeman’s Nelson Mandela.  I say suddenly because the cue quite literally seems to come from nowhere and the scene would probably be better served without it.

    And that’s before we get to the song’s obvious downfall: lyrics and melody.  It sounds like some soft pop, radio-exhausted ballad, but the words hit everything so square on the nose that it’s almost embarrassing.  But that’s just my opinion.  Have a listen below and give us your thoughts.

    [audio:http://www.incontention.com/audio/colorblind.mp3]

  • 12/2 Oscarweb Round-up

    Paul McCartney• Edna Gundersen talks to Sir Paul McCartney about his musical addition to Kirk Jones’s “Everybody’s Fine.” [USA Today]

    • In praise of the opening sequence of Michael Mann’s “Ali.” [The Auteurs Notebook]

    • Pete Hammond reports from Monday night’s premiere of “Up in the Air.” [Notes on a Season]

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  • Listen to Overtone and Yollandi Nortjie’s ‘9,000 Days’ from ‘Invictus’

    OvertoneWe reported Friday (and mentioned in this weekend’s Oscar Talk) that Clint Eastwood’s latest, “Invictus,” has two original songs from South Africa boy band Overtone.  Today we’re happy to feature one of them.

    “9,000 Days” (credited as “Invictus 9,000 Days” in the film) also features vocalist Yollandi Nortjie.  It’s used in the context of the film and is also called up as a reprise as the first closing credits cue.  I wouldn’t say it’s used organically in the film, as the presence of both this and “Colorblind” (which we’ll feature Wednesday) seem forced and somewhat random on the film’s soundtrack.

    The song has a jazzy, bluesy vibe, much like Jamie Callum’s “Gran Torino” last year.  It also uses the William Earnest Henley poem which lends its name to the film’s title as a framing device throughout (which could render it ineligible, who knows).  Like the film, it’s pretty simple, cut and dry, no frills.

    Have a listen below and tell us what you think of the tune:

    [audio:http://www.incontention.com/audio/9000days.mp3]

  • Two original songs from ‘Invictus’ join the race

    Morgan Freeman in InvictusEven though trade reviews have popped up and there are enough little dutch boys around to seal off the steadily breaking dam, certain parties are still not permitted to discuss “Invictus” in a review capacity.  However, I would like to offer up some thoughts on two original songs from the film that should be added to that category’s on-going conversation in this space.

    “9,000 Days” and “Colorblind” are a pair of sentimental tracks peppered throughout the film.  Both songs, as well as most of the soundtrack, can be chalked up to the South Africa vocal group Overtone.  “9,000 Days,” using William Earnest Henley’s poem “Invictus” as a framing device, sounds curiously like Jamie Callum’s title track for “Gran Torino” last year.  It’s a breezy, jazzy tune that also features Yollandi Nortjie.

    “Colorblind,” meanwhile, from Overtone on their own, is a little more difficult to defend.  From the schlock, faux-emotive melody of the thing to the trite lyrics (which could probably be determined from the nail-on-the-head title), it’s a fairly miserable song.  And its usage in the film is swift, manipulative and frankly distracting.

    Suffice it to say, I don’t expect these tracks to play a major role in this year’s race for Best Original Song, but they’re worth mentioning in this robust year for the category regardless.

  • Listen to Kate Hudson’s ‘Cinema Italiano’ from ‘Nine’

    Kate Hudson in NineWednesday we featured the original song “Take It All” from Rob Marshall’s “Nine.” Today we’re happy to feature the other tune conceived by Maury Yeston specifically for the film: “Cinema Italiano,” performed by Kate Hudson.

    Hudson’s Vogue journalist Stephanie was expanded considerably for the film, a lustful young thing who announces, “Style is the new substance.  It’s what my readers want.”  Her song kicks in during an attempt at seducing Daniel Day-Lewis’s crisis-stricken filmmaker Guido Contini and is meant to reflect the flashbulb-popping chic and panache of the entertainment industry, and certainly, Stephanie’s place in that shallow world.

    I would say it stands out as the most catching tune of the piece, but it’s also the most out of place and has some fairly trite lyrics (and some odd rhythm shifts), but it’s a sure bet for a nod, along with the aforementioned “Take It All.”  Give it a listen below and tell us what you think.

    [audio:http://www.incontention.com/audio/cinemaitaliano.mp3]

  • Listen to Marion Cotillard’s ‘Take It All’ from ‘Nine’

    Marion Cotillard in NineThis year’s big, bombastic musical “Nine” features two original song compositions from Maury Yeston.  We’re happy today to feature one of them: “Take It All,” performed in the film by actress Marion Cotillard.

    Of all the tracks in the film, both original and pre-existing, this one has the most impact if only because it comes during one of the film’s few truly emotional and affecting moments.  It would be spoiler territory to reveal the particulars of that scene, but the lyrics pretty much, uh, say it all, if you will.

    The tunes of “Nine” won’t have the same problem so many other original songs will have this year because, as movie musical numbers would, they are used within the context of the film.  Indeed, they push the story from point A to point B throughout, and “Take It All,” for my money, was the payoff culmination of all of that, partly due to the power of the track, but mostly due to what Cotillard does with it and how her performance resonates in the actual scene.

    Have a listen to the track below and tell us what you think.

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  • Listen to Ryan Bingham’s ‘The Weary Kind’ from ‘Crazy Heart’

    Ryan BinghamOne of the first things I mentioned when I stumbled out of that dark theater on the Fox lot a few weeks ago, following a screening of Scott Cooper’s last minute awards entry “Crazy Heart,” was that I couldn’t get the final song, “The Weary Kind,” out of my head.  Today I’m happy to offer it up for your listening pleasure.

    The song is prime material for the Best Original Song category because of its implementation in the film.  (MILD SPOILERS) Jeff Bridges’s newly sober Bad Blake character, reflecting on his ups and downs and finally sitting down to pen a new tune, rattles through the chords and comes up with a powerful ditty for his former protege, Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell).  Finally we get the full number in a concert sequence that leads into the closing credits.

    In my opinion, this is the frontrunner of the category.  There are a pair of “Nine” songs on its heels, however, and who knows what turf the tracks from “The Princess and the Frog” will claim, but this stand-out from a wonderful soundtrack is sure to prove instantly moving for many.  Have a listen below (in an official version performed by Ryan Bingham, who co-wrote the song with T Bone Burnett).

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  • U2 enters the race for Best Original Song with ‘Winter’ from Jim Sheridan’s ‘Brothers’

    U2Last week when canvassing the various FYC sites that are hitting the web as of late, I misspoke (er, mistyped) when I disregarded the eligibility of a certain original song contender in this year’s race.  Allow me to explain.

    U2’s “Winter” did indeed show up on Anton Corbijn’s “Linear,” a short film that accompanied the album “No Line on the Horizon” (which the band is touring vigorously across the US right now).  But I’m told the song was, in fact, written specifically for Jim Sheridan’s “Brothers” and that it will indeed be eligible for consideration in the Best Original Song category.

    The film has been completed for quite some time, mind you.  It took a while for it to secure distribution (though I have no idea why — it’s a fine film).  MGM picked it up maybe a year ago, and over the summer, Lionsgate bought the film in a three-picture distribution deal.  So just because “No Line on the Horizon” has been in stores for a number of months doesn’t mean “Winter” (which isn’t an official track inclusion on the album, by the way) wasn’t conceived far in advance of its release.

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  • Listen to Adam Lambert’s ‘Time For Miracles’ from ‘2012’

    Adam LambertOkay, it’s a stretch under the new voting scheme to think that Adam Lambert’s closing credits track “Time For Miracles” from Roland Emmerich’s blow-stuff-up-good entry “2012” would be an Oscar contender, but with the film hitting theaters over the weekend (and with the just-announced news that another big sci-fi entry will have an original tune in the mix) I thought it would be worth it to showcase Lambert’s first single, as we’ve been doing the rest of the year’s Best Original Song contenders.

    And let’s face it — 10 years ago, this would be a sure-fire nominee.  And speaking personally, it’s somewhat nostalgic for that.  It has that epic, Diane Warren-like scope of songs like “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” and “How Do I Live.”  Cheese-fests, sure, but guilty pleasures are allowed in this life.

    The track was written by Alain Johannes and the late Natasha Shneider, each formerly of the Los Angeles indie rock band Eleven.  It’s positioning in the film is clearly a liability, but it’s the kind of thing that would most certainly grab more ratings for the Oscarcast, should it find itself in the mix.

    Have a listen to the song below, which we featured less formally a few weeks back, and tell us what you think.

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  • Leona Lewis to sing ‘Avatar’ theme

    Leona LewisChalk up another contender for Best Original Song. British pop diva Leona Lewis is to sing the (presumably multi-octave-scaling) theme song from James Cameron’s “Avatar.”

    Best known Stateside for her megahit “Bleeding Love,” the 24 year-old chanteuse rose to fame as the 2006 winner of “The X Factor,” the UK’s “American Idol” equivalent — thus making “Avatar” the year’s second sci-fi blockbuster (after “2012”) to turn to a reality-show star for musical duties.

    Empire reports that Lewis is currently shooting the video for the song, a James Horner-penned closing-credits effort titled “I See You (Theme from Avatar).”

    If this all sounds a little 1997, I guess that’s the idea. Lewis is, after all, a latter-day answer to Celine Dion, whose ubiquitous Oscar-winning theme for Cameron’s last film — what was the title again? — was part and parcel of its success. (Of course, times have changed since then, and the Academy looks a lot less kindly on closing-credit tracks these days.)

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