Spectre Vs. Skyfall

Adele Vs. Sam Smith? How can you possibly compare these two considering they're kind of the male and female forms of each other, both saddled with unrivaled ridiculous musical talent. While Adele's amazing Skyfall is a bit more more "Bond" feeling, Smith's Writing's on the Wall is also a musical masterpiece. The famous opening "Gun Barrel" sequence that is carried throughout all of the Bond movies allows both of these songs to be experienced in such an amazing visual and audial way. In Skyfall, the opening sequence is under water with of course, tons of foreshadowing and amazing graphics to foreshadow and get us wondering. While I believe Skyfall is a better Bond song, Spectre's opening credits with Writing's on the Wall is way better graphically and visually. Maybe I'm just a sucker for the day of the dead, but the use of the sugar skulls were a perfect contrast for Sam Smith's haunting vocal delivery. 

Maleficent: Gorgeously Eerie

Sleeping Beauty really hits home for me- its been my favorite princess movie since I can remember and, embarrassingly, I still listen to the music from the 1959 film from time to time. This being said, imagine my... not disdain... disdain is a bit too extreme- however, in my mind I knew that they had big shoes and I wasn't sure if it would stand up to the challenge. While most of the music is just simply good enough and gets the job done, one song in particular was done extremely well- but only plays in the credits! Lana Del Rey's eerily gorgeous remake of "Once Upon a Dream" is more than perfect for this modern and dark take on the classic. Her haunting and slow voice combined with the classic chorus and dark drums create a stunning wall of sound. Angelina Jolie, who stars as Maleficent in the film, handpicked Lana Del Rey to perform the cover and after hearing it there is absolutely no question as to why. While the movie itself could've been a lot better, this plays at the end and leaves you feeling how you should've felt throughout the movie. This song is supposed to accompany the movie, but the movie is definitely subpar to the amazing cover. 

Birdman

This dramatically riveting film is full of original drum music written and performed by Antonio Sanchez. The drums sound like that of a seasoned house band and pick up or come down, matching every moment and emotion he feels. The drums are also used as a tool to bring us in and out of his reality. We go from listening to the music as if it's in his head to it being real in the streets as he passes by- once earlier in the film by a street performer and then later with the marching band, as he walks in his underwear, frantically trying to get back to the theater. The bigger, fuller classical pieces are used in his bigger, more dramatic moments. For example, towards the end of the movie when the "birdman," his alternate voice in his head has taken physical shape in his reality, he goes through a mental journey that helps him get back to the state of mind he needed to be in to complete his play. As he soars, literally, through and over the streets of New York on the way to the theater for his first, and highly anticipated performance on broadway, the amazing graphics are accompanied by "Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 II Allegro molto" by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Its a whimsical, hope filled piece, which is perfect as he prepares mentally for his performance. As soon as he enters the theater after he lands, the drums come back in, and we skip ahead to listen in on the audience members at intermission as they rave about the first act. As he walks to the stage for his last scene, we see the street drummer from earlier in a storage room, playing the drums in his head. Because this is a relatively new movie, I won't go on to ruin the gorgeous, masterful last couple of scenes... but I will convey how confused I am that I went from my heart beating out of my chest, to feeling like I wanted to cry, to chuckling a bit, to being confused but satisfied by the more than interesting ending. 

Pride and Prejudice: Music as Beautiful as the Love Story it Accompanies

Pride and Prejudice- a wonderfully loving, witty, and dramatic tale of family and love. Written by Jane Austen in 1813, it is one of the most well known love stories of all time. This film, made in 2005, did the story justice with its amazing cast, fantastic scenery and costumes, and of course it's gorgeously composed, Academy Award winning soundtrack. 

We open the movie with beautiful scenery, beautiful music, and an even more beautiful Elizabeth Bennet (Kiera Knightly) walking through a meadow in her mud tattered dress and boots, reading a novel lit by the sunrise. "Dawn," the opening song plays as she walks to her family's house, she listens in on whats happening with the Bennets that day. Composed by Oscar Winner Dario Marianelli and performed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano) and the English Chamber Orchestra, this amazingly cohesive soundtrack is so beautifully moving that you could listen to it straight through  and be touched just as much as when watching the movie. 

Perhaps the most riveting and dramatic feelings happen later, as "Darcy's Letter" plays when Elizabeth is running through the rain after church and is met at a stone column by the one she loathes most in that moment, Mr. Darcy. The intensity of the building music matches the feeling in that moment perfectly; when she is surprised by Darcy, it fades off... and later we watch as Mr. Darcy drops off the letter he wrote for Elizabeth at her cousins home. The rest of the song resumes when she opens it- this time with a much softer, saddened tone as she reads his explanation to all of the things that made her hate him. We can't help but feel how devastated and guilty she feels for misjudging him.

Finally, the most beautiful and climactic scene is accompanied by "Liz on top of the world." Its early morning, a sleep deprived Elizabeth is standing in a field, contemplating the events of the night before when she looks up to see Mr. Darcy, the love of her life, coming toward her through the fog of the sunrise. Just as she realizes its him, a gorgeous piano crescendo emerges, confirming his determined commitment to her. The crescendo dissipates as he reaches Elizabeth, nervous but determined to confirm his love for her. The composition of the piano perfectly mimics their mutual emotional resolution.