Yup, we 'old-schoolers' love Desplat. The score is marvellous.
I have played this score many times. It is gorgeously addicting. Desplat has given us a real winner. Now during this awards season, I hope his creation will be just as much a winner. Forget about DUNKIRK , both film and score; the winner for best film and score deserves to be THE SHAPE OF WATER.
Watched the film for a second time last night at a BFI preview having seen it at the London Film Festival in October. Confirmed to me just what a great score Desplat has composed. A wonderful main theme used beautifully thoughout. Deserves the Oscar without doubt imo.
Based on the Academy choices since the turn of the century (several first-time nominees won), I thought that Jonny Greenwood’s Phantom Thread would be the score to beat. But after seeing The Shape of Water, I think Alexandre Desplat is very near his second Oscar. Lovely music. Contributes a lot to the magical and romantic atmosphere. Also glad that the beautiful “You’ll Never Know”, by the fabulous songwriting duo Harry Warren and Mack Gordon is such a proeminent feature of a contemporary film. Worth mentioning that Del Toro’s fantasy could be Desplat’s third Best Picture winner since 2010, after The King’s Speech and Argo. What a career.
Some thoughts from last nights viewing...SPOILERS!!!
Has anyone noticed HOW CLOSE to a remake of SPLASH this film is? Seriously. Human falls in love with fish creature. Creature captured by authorities and confined, experimented upon. Human helps creature break out. Human keeps creature in their bath at home. Story culminates in chase against time, with authorities, to dock side area, where final leap of both major characters results in human gaining underwater breathing abilities!! I was amazed! Also, if someone like Lorne Balfe had scored a 50's cold war drama set in America as though it was made IN FRANCE, people (including me) would be hanging him up by his buster browns. Don't get me wrong. The music is pretty and nice, but it is THE MUSIC OF FRANCE! It confused the hell out of me. Anyway. Quite liked the film, although nowhere near as good as some of his previous efforts (Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth). Also, typical Del Toro. Fantasy Fairy-Tale style (but VERY ADULT) countered by shocking and gruesome gore and violence.
Some thoughts from last nights viewing...SPOILERS!!!
Has anyone noticed HOW CLOSE to a remake of SPLASH this film is? Seriously. Human falls in love with fish creature. Creature captured by authorities and confined, experimented upon. Human helps creature break out. Human keeps creature in their bath at home. Story culminates in chase against time, with authorities, to dock side area, where final leap of both major characters results in human gaining underwater breathing abilities!! I was amazed! Also, if someone like Lorne Balfe had scored a 50's cold war drama set in America as though it was made IN FRANCE, people (including me) would be hanging him up by his buster browns. Don't get me wrong. The music is pretty and nice, but it is THE MUSIC OF FRANCE! It confused the hell out of me. Anyway. Quite liked the film, although nowhere near as good as some of his previous efforts (Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth). Also, typical Del Toro. Fantasy Fairy-Tale style (but VERY ADULT) countered by shocking and gruesome gore and violence.
Ron Howard must be scratching his head wondering why SPLASH didn't win Best Picture. SHAPE OF WATER also resembles E.T. and FREE WILLY. It's very familiar material distinguished only by its production design and some insistent and incongruous sexual frankness.
Similarly, LADY BIRD is a good film, no doubt, but it did make me wonder why FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (also directed by a lady) didn't get any laurels.
Similarly, LADY BIRD is a good film, no doubt, but it did make me wonder why FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (also directed by a lady) didn't get any laurels.
Similarly? In that they're both movies maybe. Film takes place during high school, yes. Film directed by a woman, yes. Otherwise the movies are nothing alike!
Ever since GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, I've thought Desplat was the best newer generation (meaning post-Silver Age) composer working today. To me, his only equals working today are Williams and Morricone, who are from an older tradition. Giacchino can be quite good, but sometimes I feel he is over-used and some scores feel phoned-in.
Anyway, SHAPE OF WATER seems to be the one to beat this year for the Oscar. Beautiful score.
Ever since GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, I've thought Desplat was the best newer generation (meaning post-Silver Age) composer working today. To me, his only equals working today are Williams and Morricone, who are from an older tradition. Giacchino can be quite good, but sometimes I feel he is over-used and some scores feel phoned-in.
Anyway, SHAPE OF WATER seems to be the one to beat this year for the Oscar. Beautiful score.
I am in total agreement with your above statements. Come Oscar night I would like to see THE SHAPE OF WATER take home quite a few "statues".
For anyone who doesn't read 'The Daily Whittle', here's how I like to programme and play Desplat's Oscar Winning score, when I'm in the bath... --------------------------------------------------
I always struggled getting into Alley Desplat's Oscar winning score to The Shape Of Water. I found the film to be a bit off-putting, with all that wanking in the bath and gruesome violence. Splash never resorted to such measures. And the score always sounded like some Amelie wannabe to me. But, if I start things off with track 3, the suspenseful ominosity of The Creature and introduce the french theme next (4.Elisa's Theme) and then offer the nice Underwater Kiss, followed by the lengthy, Goldsmithian The Escape, things really cook for me. So, without further ado, Ladies & Gentlemen, Boys & Girls, I give you, my Shape Of Water Go Pleasure Yourself whittled edition! 3. The Creature 4. Elisa's Theme 12. Underwater Kiss 13. The Escape 15. Decency 17. Overflow Of Love 18. Without You 19. Rainy Day 20. A Princess Without A Voice I think it runs around 30 minutes and if this edition doesn't get you off, nothing will.
