A.I.
(Warner Sunset)
By Sheng Yuen
In Summary : Master composer John Williams weaves his magical music wand again for Steven Spielberg.
Sounds like:If you are familiar with and fancy the soundtracks of"Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade,""E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,"and the trilogy that is"Star Wars,"then you will already be stepping into comfort zone with your initial contact with this soundtrack, which, once again, deftly combines gentle and lilting lullabies like"For Always"with all-out maestro showpieces like"The Moon Rising."You May Have Heard:The movie has yet to hit the cineplex, so, as with all film scores, you are unlikely to have heard any of these instrumental pieces. But wait, there's a love theme sung by Lara Fabian, so that may have been released as a single or radio edit to plug the movie in advance. Ah...the wonders of cross-marketing.We Fancy:The element of mystique and child-like bewilderment that permeates this album makes us want to get in queue for the preview tickets to this much-awaited movie that stars Haley Joel Osment and Jude Law.We're Not Sure About:Track two,"Abandoned In The Woods,"starts off very much like a Philip Glass piece. We know, because we went for his recent Arts Festival concerts. But as with all John Williams' compositions, the lush embellishments set in pretty soon, enveloping any suspicion of unintentional plagiarism in its magnificent orchestrations and varied tonal accompaniments.Verdict:Master Williams has been in the business of making movie music for such a long time, it's hard to fault him without being deemed as nitpicking. He certainly knows how to weave magic with a wave of his lyrical wand, creating spectacular and mood-setting memories for some of cinema's top-grossing blockbusters. It is no wonder he seems to be the composer of choice for Steven Spielberg, whose other bestsellers like"Jaws"and"Saving Private Ryan"are also scored by Williams.
|
|||||
