Is it possible could it be that every score is good, of course not and I hope that by being honest about a composers music they will not take offence but will maybe think “Fair Point”. I have heard so much about the film THE INVISIBLE MAN the latest version, the acting is supposedly superb as is the storyline and the direction, the score too is said to be brilliant, well that’s where I kind of disagree, Benjamin Wallfisch is becoming sort of type cast don’t you think, IT , IT CHAPTER 2, ANABELLE CREATION, LIGHTS OUT etc. THE INVISIBLE MAN has its moments, but these I think are outweighed by more negative and grating sounding pieces that I for one would not choose to sit and listen to as just music, but this is film music so we have to make allowances and hope the score does its job, but even if it does said job, does not mean I or indeed anyone has to like it. There are as I say some quite nice mysterious compositions within the score, that did I have to tell you evoke memories of Goldsmith’s BASIC INSTINCT, not as in its sounds like Goldsmith’s music for that movie, but because the style and the atmosphere created by it has a kind of menacing but at the same time sensual sound, the composer utilising piano and strings to garner this effect. But why is it recently that when Hans Zimmer does something or experiments with a sound that so many follow his thinking and basically imitate? Is this film music evolving or is it film music sounding all the same? The result often ending up sounding like a cheap orchestra trying to emulate the spaghetti western sound of Morricone. In THE INVISIBLE MAN there are a handful of cues which I for one would not refer to as being musical in any way, they are more like a rock guitar that is being smashed around a room, the sound created is awful and unlistenable, yes it will probably be effective within the context of the film, but why so harsh why so un-melodic, and just so grating? It’s not really even atonal its just NOISE and a noise that I skipped every time, I know some will say “Well I love it” Well you know what I don’t, so as with all reviews it is a personal opinion, these nasty jagged pieces have I think put me off returning to the score. A score which is fair but nothing earth shattering, there is in fact nothing new here nothing outstanding, as in WOW this is great, apart from maybe the track entitled THE SUIT which again although good, does evoke memories of maybe Pino Donnagio’s DRESSED TO KILL at times. (The Museum). The composer went down a similar road musically when he scored HELLBOY another score I found to be too busy and chaotic, with so much going on and so much being thrown at you that it’s difficult to separate the sounds and they become an onslaught to the senses. So this is maybe a film that you will want to go see, so I apologise for being honest and saying the score, is just average, in an imitating Zimmer fashion. Where is the melodic and tantalising sound and style of Benjamin Wallfisch, that we experienced in scores such as, BITTER HARVEST and to a degree in THE DARKEST MINDS? Maybe it has been subdued or worse rubbed out by the influences of Zimmer.
MOVIE MUSIC INTERNATIONAL. (MMI) . 