In Contention

Tag: Best Original Song

  • 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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  • “Maybe it’ll sound better in 3-D.”

    So writes Vulture’s Lane Brown on “I See You,” the godawful (or “hilarious,” take your pick) theme song from “Avatar.” No reason for sharing, aside from the fact that I’m still laughing.

  • WEEKLY WRAP: NBR winners, Spirit nods and Jeff Bridges

    Jeff Bridges• The National Board of Review offered the season’s first major precursors, with “Up in the Air” sitting pretty.

    • The Independent Spirit Award nominations were topped by “Precious” and, more surprisingly, “The Last Station.”

    • Indie award rivals the Gotham Awards, meanwhile, crowned “The Hurt Locker” as the year’s best.

    • Fresh off his Spirit nomination, we served up an extended interview with the great Jeff Bridges.

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  • 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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  • 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]

  • WEEKLY WRAP: ‘Lovely Bones’ bows, ‘New Moon’ reigns

    Mark Wahlberg in The Lovely Bones• “The Lovely Bones” finally landed this week, to decidedly mixed reviews.

    • Kris and Anne offered their thoughts on the film (among others) in this week’s Oscar Talk.

    • In Off the Carpet, we combed through the Best Adapted Screenplay contenders (which now include “District 9”).

    • “New Moon” surprised nobody with a record-breaking box-office haul last weekend, and its dominance is set to continue.

    • This week’s Long Shot column surveyed the growing buzz around populist contenders in this year’s Oscar race.

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  • That Federico neorealism?

    Marcello Mastroianni in La Dolce VitaOK, forgive the idle question that follows, but it’s a Sunday. Something has been bothering me about the lyrics to Kate Hudson’s “Cinema Italiano” number from “Nine”:

    I feel my body chill
    Gives me a special thrill
    Each time I see that Guido neorealism
    I love the dark handsome guys
    With the skinny little ties
    Dressed mod, looking out of sight…

    And so on and so forth, as Hudson sings the praises of “shades in the middle of the night,” “the essence of Italian style” and Rome nightlife. You don’t need a PhD in film studies to gather that Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” is the key reference point here.

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  • 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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  • WEEKLY WRAP: Doc shortlist, honorary Oscars and more

    Lauren Bacall at the 2009 Governors' Awards• The shortlist of contenders for the documentary Oscar was announced, surprising many — we dug into it a little.

    • The season’s first Oscars were handed out, as Lauren Bacall, Gordon Willis, Roger Corman and John Calley were celebrated at the Governors’ Awards.

    • This week’s Off the Carpet column broke down the wide-open Best Original Screenplay race.

    • The Long Shot lived up to its name, spotlighting a few of the season’s most deserving outsiders.

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  • Listen to Paul McCartney’s ‘(I Want to) Come Home’ from ‘Everybody’s Fine’

    Paul McCartneyPaul McCartney was in the thick of the Best Original Song race back in 2001 for his title track from Cameron Crowe’s “Vanilla Sky.” Unfortunately, the film was a pale reflection of Alejandro Amenabar’s “Abre Los Ojos” and didn’t register with voters enough to push that truly great song far enough.  Not that I’m arguing with Randy Newman finally winning his Oscar that year, mind you.

    Well this year, McCartney is back in the race with “(I Want to) Come Home,” yet another breezy nostalgic ditty that, once again, was written for a film that doesn’t really work: Kirk Jones’s “Everybody’s Fine.” But it’s a great song.  And I don’t think it’s a stretch to say it sounds like some undiscovered Beatles B-side, a warm and catchy tune that plays over the film’s closing credits (visually accompanied by the photos Robert De Niro’s widower character snaps on his journey around the country reconnecting with his children).

    One would think Paul McCartney’s presence in a race like this would be a no-brainer, but then again, Bruce Springsteen proved that logic wrong last year.  Have a listen to the track below and tell us what you think.

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