Friday, September 03, 2010

Breakfast With... Alexandre Desplat (Magnificent Film Score Repurposed.)

Press play for the musical accompaniment to this post.



Have any of you seen the new "wake up" commercial for Quaker Oats? It's one of those commercials that would look right at home during the Olympics, as it's full of gorgeous images of Americana, sunrise, sports and other daily wholesome endeavors like the building of skyscrapers. If I hadn't been looking away from my telly when it aired, I doubt I would have made the connection but the entire commercial is scored to the opening theme of Birth (2004). Alexandre Desplat is arguably the best movie composer working so why shouldn't his scores live on past their movies?

The commercial voiceover goes like so...
Wake up America. It's morning and morning is amazing: it's when we charge into the future, when we blasted off for the moon, scaled the heighest peak, and flew for the very first time. Morning starts and changes everything. It's a clean slate, a fresh start.

So come dreamers and trailblazers, champions ...come builders. It's morning. Wake up and be amazing.

Does your breakfast make you amazing?
You know what's amazing, oatmeal eaters of the world? Watching Nicole Kidman as Anna fall under the spell of a 10 year old boy who may or may not be her dead husband reincarnated. That's what's amazing. Though, I have to admit Anna's "trailblazing" does not exactly provide her with a clean slate or a fresh start.

And she does need to wake the hell up.


Wake up Anna. Wake up.
*
*

12 comments:

Burning Reels said...

Didn't you interview Desplat or were going to Nathaniel or did I dream it?:)

NATHANIEL R said...

I was supposed to. He stood me up. wah wah. I'll nab him one of these Oscar seasons.

Bia said...

So weird you posted this, I just downloaded the score for Birth 2 weeks ago! Love Prologue and The Engagement tracks. Other fave scores: White Oleander, Meet Joe Black, American Beauty, Revolutionary Road.

SkewerMistress said...

link for the commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmeFRZINvJg

NATHANIEL R said...

thank you!

Hayden said...

I really hope the past few years in Nicole Kidman's career have been a case of losing her groove to find it again. I think she's so amazing and talented, but I'm very all-or-nothing with her performances.

In my opinion, she either nails it like a pro or she looks like she hasn't a clue what she's doing onscreen. I hope Rabbit Hole is the former.

Joe said...

@Hayden, maybe I'm too big of a Kidman fan, but I can't think of one performance this past decade where she hasn't nailed it. I've always thought she got her characters and specifically, the vision her directors have of her characters. Although, I'll admit that I've avoided "Invasion" like the plague. The cover art alone on the DVD package portends bad things. What performances did you think she looked lost in?

Great to see/read about Birth. Such a stunning film performance and the score was rather memorable.

NATHANIEL R said...

I'm not attempting to speak for Hayden. and i am rarely "all or nothing. but as much as i love her... i personally think she seems a little adrift in FUR. The performance played a bit like a retread of sharper performances and the psychology felt vague to me.

maybe i just didn't get the movie? not sure. I can't needing more than she was giving though.

Anonymous said...

9 days to Rabbit Hole showing, I think it is time for NK to return to centre stage. I need to start reading about her in FILM magazines again, you know, about how great and awesome she is.

Randy said...

I always have oats for breakfast and usually later in the day as well. It's the best and most affordable food I can find.

Joe said...

@Nathaniel, totally true about Fur. However, I file that in the "carrying out the vision of her director" category. I always thought she did what Shainberg wanted her to do - though I'm not entirely sure what Shainberg wanted the film to do at some points which is what creates problems with the performance and the film as a whole.

Maybe I'm just a Kidman apologist who'd rather blame the director than her.

/3rtfu11 said...

I stand alone. I love Fur. It’s wholly a four star movie and should be spoken up on more but positively.