Contact

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Every year my respect grows for a certain Mr. Alan Silvestri. He has proven that no kind of genre is too much for him and musically he can adjust his style in any movie Robert Zemeckis so far created and directed. But if my heart should speak I find Contact, interesting and perfect in the movie but rather a boring listen because my mind can not stay focussed on the subject of hand. While the movie surely looks stunning, it is the power of Silvestri's subtle score that makes the magic inside the movie happen but hardly outside on disc. Contact features Forrest Gump subtlety in theme and offers one or two exciting tension moments but I feel, beyond that deep interesting texture of sound lies a space where nothing becomes stimulating for hearing it again and again ... and again.

The score's main theme receives attention directly in the first track 'Awful Waste of Space' before the first typical tension building Silvestri sound appears in 'Ellie's Bogey'. Along with 'Good to Go' these are the only interesting moments of power and pace. The really subtle yet beautiful main material, even somewhat dramatic and down feeling like 'Heart Attack', 'No Words', 'Small Moves', 'I Believe Her' and 'Contact / End Credits' offer personality but nothing that makes the track memorable, except for the excellent last track. It offers the main theme in powerful versions and this more then once. Contact surely brings the movie more intriguing qualities and no one denies that Alan Silvestri again delivered the goods for a Robert Zemeckis movie but I can not listen to this score and be entertained at the end. I find it better as a whole in the movie's context.

All in all, Contact surely offers its money worth in material and style. People fond of Forrest Gump's emotional piano accompanied music will no doubt find more then worth the attention in this release. In fact, I do too but it's not something I hold close to my CD-player if I want a listen or two. It hasn't got to do this but I don't find a stimulating aspect of Silvestri's score that makes it more then excellent. Contact, for 44 minutes and for its continuing result in the movie is another Silvestri score worthy of praise and people will more then likely applaud it for its intelligence in the movie's guideline. But so far, as music entertainment solely it hasn't contacted me yet.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Awful Waste Of Space (1.42)

2. Ellie's Bogey (3.22)

3. The Primer (6.20)

4. Really Confused (1.18)

5. Test Run Bomber (4.25)

6. Heart Attack (1.29)

7. Media Event (1.24)

8. Button Me Up (1.18)

9. Good To Go (5.10)

10. No Words (1.42)

11. Small Moves (5.34)

12. I Believe Her (2.32)

13. Contact / End Credits (7.58) Excellent Track

Total Length: 44.30

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=== Link to Composer Site: Alan Silvestri ===