Iris

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

At the beginning of the year we had Enemy at the Gates, at the end we received two drama's, one big publicized and Oscar winning movie namely A Beautiful Mind and at the other end the small but equally acclaimed Iris, all Horner scores that one way or another received attention (positively from the Oscar board or negatively from the fans). Iris is the smallest also in sound and many people will in a way accept Iris much better because a lot of ripping is far from to be found here. On the other hand, Iris is more the stylistic cousin of several other drama's, meaning it leans close to several used attempts. This is of course always better than a hack job that leaves you with nothing but frustration. The true frustration however concerning Iris is one detail that can make a score good or just unsatisfying and that is a theme. I consider Iris to be a themeless score in a way because after repeated listens, I have yet to actually remember the theme. And the theme we occasionally hear is frankly heard at the begin and not at the end. Of course, a theme is never needed to let a score work but the actual score is so meandering that it leaves me desiring more, but not getting it. Meaning, Iris is a beautiful score but not a satisfying one.

The main reason that keeps Iris above the average list is single-handedly Joshua Bell. Like violinist Itzhak Perlman on Schindler's List or solo artists such as Charlotte Church on A Beautiful Mind, Joshua Bell delivers his own unique talent to the score and by that making it still charming in its calm development. Without Bell, I'm afraid the score would have become boring and meandering stuff but now you have at least minutes per track that keep you a bit on edge. The actual tracks are unnamed but the booklet does give you a small presentation of what the music is accompanying (which is nice). Of the best tracks we can be short, it are just the moments that make the track good and 'Part 1' is especially mesmerizing because it has (in my book) the best possible violin solo of the score, it is short but so inspiring it almost lights this score into heavenly fire. 'Part 3' is different because it contains a slight use of soft choral music and 'Part 7' is also a bit of a change because it offers (briefly) a darker emotional piece of music. For the rest, the style basically doesn't change a footnote. The gorgeous but as said before constant meandering of Horner's music, an occasional piano tone, an interesting violin solo of Bell and during track 8 Kate Winslet's singing, closing the score. During this track, the most emotional (but again short) Horner music is discovered and probably is the solo musical highlight coming of Horner alone.

Still, it is the combination of meandering music and the length of the score that kills the album. Horner has been joyously for some, irritatingly for others presented on disc, with a lot of scores dragging itself over the 70 minute target line. Iris "only" lasts for 50 minutes but even this feels too much, just because the music never moves a tone in style and hardly picks up your attention if you are already stumbling in the middle. A Beautiful Mind could have been blessed with this time but Iris surely feels even too much for this number. This doesn't mean that I hate the score but it is just not a listen that requires your attention, more this is the annual background listen meaning style doesn't change and tone or volume barely. This is so sad because Bell surely adds momentum to the score's name and Horner's music is charming and neatly written, but it just doesn't add up on disc. Iris is a dramatic piece that will give the movie just the right kind of attention but on disc it simply can't hold its weight. More, it is at times predictable (because it leans close to the style of others namely Bicentennial Man and The Spitfire Grill, or Cocoon and The Perfect Storm at moments) and makes it somewhat a score for the Horner fans, but not for everyone.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Part 1 (3.42)

2. Part 2 (3.24)

3. Part 3 (4.46)

4. Part 4 (4.35)

5. Part 5 (11.00)

6. Part 6 (6.41)

7. Part 7 (10.57)

8. Part 8 (4.47)

Total Length: 49.58

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

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