A Beautiful Mind

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

I hate long soundtracks! No, let me rephrase that: "I hate soundtracks that make it feel long enough. A soundtrack needs to transport you into a place were bore or non interest doesn't count anymore and if a time doesn't fulfill that judgment, then you don't have to release it in a big order form in the first place, simply because fans want everything. I know that some will have no problem with this whatsoever but I have so many soundtracks that I know what a minute can do, interesting or boring. So James Horner's latest score A Beautiful Mind is definitely way too long, in fact it doesn't persuade me to listen to it once and a while, just that I will pick out the moments that I want and generally I hate when that happens, because a soundtrack is like a movie, parts don't make the movie but the whole concept does. So, a movie is forgettable if you don't find it interesting or way too long, a score is in fact in my book the same. Now, a lot can be said about James Horner and has been said but the man knows what a movie requires, and he will do whatever it takes, even if he uses his blasphemy of reusing his ideas and themes. Luckily, a lot of reusing isn't heard in the score, mainly an influence or a situation that sounds influenced by another famous work. A Beautiful Mind is in that part already better than Bicentennial Man, the score it influences the most. But on the other hand, were Bicentennial was perfect, it is Mind's total lack of difference. You will hear from the begin to the end the same style, more it will bore eventually.

So, A Beautiful Mind is perhaps way too long, the idea is clear and perfect for the movie. The use of a famous singer (in this case Charlotte Church) is nice but I don't think that miss Church didn't need a lot of stretching and any good vocalist with a clear voice would handle it admirably. Of course there is always a difference between top and unknown, commercially speaking. She also performs the necessary song, using the tone of the main theme, making it effective and fitting but that's it. The better moments are all scattered around on this giant release, meaning moments will surely pick up your attention. A moment is for instance 'A Kaleidoscope of Mathematics' which starts the way I imagined it, Sneakers feel, piano accompaniment and Charlotte Church adding her voice to the score while it simply repeats the style of Searching for Bobby Fisher and Bicentennial Man's first track. Still it always works and there is no heavy lifting of another theme. Also the main theme is spotted on 1.40. Basically, from this point any track can be the same, a big difference in style is never noticed and apart from the usual piano, vocal or drums, we have from begin to end the dramatic, emotional sound. One of the better moments is when the main theme receives this extra set of emotion, when the strings make it swell (gently but so mesmerizing) like for instance during track 3 or the best in track 'Of one Heart, of one Mind'. Of course, James Horner at the piano is always better than a piano sound in general and his performance on 'Cracking the Russian Codes' is off spine tingling excellence. Basically, the first 5 tracks are really pleasant. And last, Charlotte Church is noticed in again Sneakers mood in track 'Saying Goodbye to Those you so Love'.

But the thing is, the more you hear the exact same style, the more it starts to drag. It doesn't mean that it isn't effective anymore or downright charming, but the magic loses an ounce with each more minute you encounter. You have to give the score a kind of fresh look but the look will disappear the longer you hear it. So, from track 8 to 14 it are just the moments of those tracks that make an impression, not the tracks by themselves. There are two reasons for that: one) the score misses diversity in tone or two) the score repeats too much the same and I'm afraid that the second is the biggest fault of the score. Decca did wonderful work but this score could have worked easily as good with a 20 minute deletion of tracks. But then die hard Horner fans would have complained about the short running time (which is frankly still ridiculous). Because if one composer has received the ultimate attention on disc, then Horner it is. A Beautiful Mind is still a good score, but one that loses its magic the matter it starts to drag. And the question is, what will the Academy decide of its functionality? The movie is perhaps the biggest winner on the big awards and a movie that receives attention usually gets the original score award. Secondly, the score somewhat flows in the line of Field of Dreams (the continuing use of the dreamy style) and that score was also nominated for an Oscar. So, I'm afraid that it will capture that Oscar even though Howard Shore deserves it more. I have nothing against A Beautiful Mind and the score is mesmerizing enough to hear, but keep repeating it and the magic will lose its pride and attention, and then you have a score that drags. And then I'm not even talking about the additional interviews on the disc: James Horner with a beard? Ha! Ron Howard mentioning that Horner's work is truly original? Please give me a break!

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. A Kaleidoscope Of Mathematics (4.55)

2. Playing A Name Of "Go!" (3.34)

3. Looking For The Next Great Idea (3.02)

4. Creating "Governing Dynamics" (2.33)

5. Cracking The Russian Codes (3.21)

6. Nash Descends Into Parcher's World (4.39)

7. First Drop-Off / First Kiss (5.15)

8. The Car Chase (2.24)

9. Alicia Discovers Nash's Dark World (8.29)

10. Real Or Imagined (5.47)

11. Of One Heart, Of One Mind (6.21)

12. Saying Goodbye To Those You So Love (6.43)

13. Teaching Mathematics Again (3.16)

14. The Prize Of One's Life ... / The Price Of One's Mind (3.02)

15. All Love Can Be: Charlotte Church (3.17)

16. Closing Credits (4.48)

Total Length: 71.36

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons

=== Link to Composer Site: James Horner ===