While I may have had reservations about reviewing a book,
I wasn’t sure I was the best person to review a film score either. But then I
remembered the hundreds of film scores and soundtracks that fill up stack after
stack of CDs at home and in my car. Maybe I am a good choice to review one
after all, right? Film scores are probably what I listen to the most come to
think of it.
So now, when it comes to the score for “ParaNorman” by
composer Jon Brion, the big question is whether or not it lives up to what it's
supposed to be. I have always felt that the biggest success of any film score
or soundtrack is to enable one to relive the film in their head. Having seen
the film three weeks ago, it could make that an even bigger challenge to
defeat. Well, it surely delivers on that front.
With Brion’s
resume, a stop-motion animated family film (about a misunderstood boy
who can see and speak with ghosts) at first glance seems like a bit of a
stretch. But it appears that Brion is out to stretch himself any way he can
when you compare his more recent film scores with that of his beginnings.
Starting out composing for Paul Thomas Anderson in 1996 (for “Hard Eight”
with Michael Penn) and later, Charlie Kaufman (“Synecdoche, New York”), Brion
has scored films for Adam McKay in recent years (“Step Brothers” and “The Other Guys”)
and is about to take on the latest from Judd Apatow (“This Is 40”).
About scoring an animated film, Brion has
stated that he’s “been waiting for the right one for
some time now,” and he couldn’t have picked a better one. The film weaves its
way through genres ranging from adventure, comedy, and ultimately, horror,
giving Brion everything he needs to set the tone for what starts out as a
melancholy affair for the film’s protagonist to even pull some heartstrings during
the climatic showdown in the finale.
While most children’s fare seems to take advantage of
whatever pop songs are currently playing from Justin Beiber and Katy Perry,
it’s nice to have a family film take a cue from the likes of Pixar Animation
Studios, who rarely use songs, save for the end credits, if at all. Parents
could maybe even use this as a springboard to get their kids into classical
music—I know it worked for me. And once your kids see the likes of “ParaNorman,”
they may find themselves opening up even more doors in their musical tastes.
Photo courtesy of Focus Features
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