Beautiful People

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Jasmin Dizdar's comedy Beautiful People was a respected comedy that garnered success at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999. Yet it wasn't noticed only because of the movie's story but also for its winning music. Combining Canadian composer Garry Bell (his only written movie score) and the English band Ghostland, the director wanted to bring a unique fusion of energy, comedy and drama. The effort is Beautiful People, a score that holds a lot of charms to those who dare to investigate any deeper. In a way exuberant and lively, in another form full of deeper emotion and inner feelings, the soundtrack is a unique and more enticing mix that you rarely find in soundtracks these days. It opens with what is one of my year's best heard cues, because a brilliant dance of guitar, accordion, vocals, flutes, percussion and violins is what makes 'Churchill's Mistake' such a wonderful experience. For Belgian readers, this is the piece used in the Een show "Terug naar Sib褰ie", for you unknowing folks its a brilliant dance of rhythm and delight, a mix that simply listens like Balkan folk music. Its sadly a bit short yet still an effort that simply screams for repeated listens. And in between the movie cues of Garry Bell, we find the other emotion that is conveyed by singers and the band Ghostland. 'Sail Away' is a song from Randy Newman but put in an enticing spell through Ghostland and singer Kirsty MacColl, it simply holds so much more meaning if you listen to a wonderful voice as Kirsty than a Randy Newman would bring it forward, naturally in his own charming delight. 'She's Beautiful' holds an Enya feel to the music because of the vocal use, and it works on the mood through the percussion, bass and guitar, its an ever fitting experience. With 'Dance the Devil Away' you reach the score's most pleasant experience, a 7 minute rhythmic but soft example of percussion, guitar, violin and the exotic darbouka which make all the fuzz, it just fits so wonderful together and its a breeze from start to finish.

With the traditional 'Gold, Silver or Love' we reach more exotic territory and again the vocals and guitar create the perfect balance between flair and finesse. A short return to the opening track is for 'Pero's Walkman' and its basically the same, only here the vocals are missing. Strange yet in a way captivating is the techno version of this Balkan piece (I'm not kidding) and even if it loses its flair because of the electronic screams, 'Talking 'Bout Life' simply works. Even more difference awaits you in 'This is War my Friend' and if you hear the music you know this just fits with the title's premise. Its more Turkish music than anything else, and yet the raw atmosphere fits the scene like a glove. Bell's back with 'Jag Jag, Sleepy Sleepy' and I can only describe it as his answer to Hans Zimmer's Millennium music, same intriguing use of vocals and same tone of the synths, its another fitting and working mix. 'Davni Chasey' is the traditional Ukrainian folk tune and always sounds well, especially The Wedding Present's performance is extremely good. The accordion piece of track 13 may be the album's weakest point yet still holds its ground through all the various delights. And the bonus cue 'Churchill's Last Mistake' is composed specifically for this album, and its the Balkan main theme of the first track, only different because the rhythm is replaced by pleasantness and charm. I can not pinpoint out enough how much I love this CD. Its a wonderful mix of various styles and sometimes extremely daring pieces, and yet they all work together as one to create this atmosphere seldom found in music today. This is more because of the daring music, tricks and innovating ideas that I like this soundtrack so much, because Williams' fans who want an orchestral piece will not see anything remotely brilliant here. If you want a European experience, a special and intoxicating one at that which holds already now a track of 3 cheers then there's enough to put you in another world. Beautiful People may be one of these CD's you haven't heard yet, but everything it promises it delivers, therefore Beautiful People is a brilliant musical experience and one I love to repeat again and again.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Churchill's Mistake * (1.59) Excellent Track

2. Sail Away: Kirsty MacColl *+ (3.13) Excellent Track

3. She's Beautiful + (3.14)

4. Dance The Devil Away: Outback (7.20) Excellent Track

5. Gold, Silver Or Love: Marta Sebestyen (6.26)

6. Pero's Walkman * (1.02) Excellent Track

7. Talkin 'Bout Life * (2.39)

8. Enemy Lullaby + (2.04)

9. This Is War My Friend + (2.06)

10. Jag Jag, Sleepy Sleepy * (1.27)

11. The Three Gurneys * (0.33)

12. Davni Chasy: The Wedding Present (2.55) Excellent Track

13. Ancino Kolo Dance: Roy Henley (2.07)

14. Churchill's Last Mistake * (4.23)

* composed by Garry Bell

+ composed by Ghostland

*+ composed by Randy Newman

Total Length: 42.27

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