Various film score recommendations.

Welcome to Jurassic Park, composed by John Williams, from Jurassic Park.

Ballad for Mathilda, composed by Eric Serra, from Leon: The Professional.


The Homecoming, composed by John Williams, from War Horse.


The Legend of Ashitaka, composed by Joe Hisaishi, from Princess Mononoke.

First Love Touch, composed by Angelo Badalamenti, from A Very Long Engagement.

They're Calling My Flight, composed by Cliff Martinez, from Contagion.

Gina and Elvira's Theme, composed by Giorgio Moroder, from Scarface.

Rango Suite, composed by Hans Zimmer, from Rango.

This Is My Choice, composed by Alan Silvestri, from Captain America: The First Avenger.

2PiR, composed by Clint Mansell, from Pi.

Fright Night, composed by Ramin Djawadi, from Fright Night (2011).

The Help

Composed by Thomas Newman, released 13th of September 2011.

I had the privilege of seeing The Help at a preview screening today, as it doesn't come out in the UK until later this week, and I am aware it came out in the US back in August!

Firstly, I really loved the film. All the actors were brilliant and the characters extremely convincing, and the film even made everyone in the cinema roar with laughter (Seriously, I don't think I've ever been sat with such a loud audience before, it was great.)

The music in the film wasn't something I immediately noticed. In some scenes it stood out slightly more and it's quite pleasing music, but it's not until now listening to the score that I've noticed how wonderful it is. And how could it not be with Thomas Newman composing? His most well-known score I'd say is American Beauty, and there are definite hints of this within the music for The Help. The piano is the main instrument, creating a tender feel.

One thing to notice is that this score is not overpowering. It adds feeling to the scenes but does not "suffocate" you, considering most of the time I didn't notice it.

However, some of the melodies are really beautiful. One that stands out for me is 'Amen', which sounds hopeful whilst at the same time remaining light. In fact, it reminds me of Newman's score for The Shawshank Redemption.

Generally, it's not one of the most exciting scores of the year, but there's something captivating about it and I'm going to enjoy many more listens to it I'm sure. My favourite tracks are: Aibilene, Them Fools, Bottom of the List, First White Baby, Amen and Ain't You Tired.

I would give this soundtrack a rating of 8/10.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Composed by Patrick Doyle, released 16th of August 2011.

I went to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes on Wednesday and I liked it a lot, but of course, one aspect that stood out for me was the music. In the end credits I noticed that it's composed by Patrick Doyle, so I thought "no wonder I loved it" because he also did the music for Thor (which I love) and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

There were scenes in the film where the music was such a big part, it was almost impossible not to notice it. The first instance of this being when Caesar climbs the huge tree in Muir Woods, and this music plays. It's a majestic piece of music that compliments the happenings on screen, because it is as Caesar ascends up the tree that he grows older, and as he reaches the top it is then '5 years later'. 

The next track that stands out for me is 'Who Am I?' which plays as Will explains to Caesar about what happened to his mother. It's an ethereal piece of music that flows in such a way that it sounds like it will become more cheery by the next note, but it never does, unlike 'Lofty Swing' which is probably the most optimistic track on the soundtrack.

The majority of the soundtrack makes good background music, but it's mainly the music from the beginning and end of the film that I like the most. 'Golden Gate Bridge' is in the climax of the film, and it's a good fast-paced track that I can't help but relate to the Thor soundtrack. In my opinion, Doyle is great at composing "epic" pieces of music that conform to the fictional universes of these films, whilst also being able to build on the character development through his music. As with any film, there are many scenes that would fall flat without Doyle's music, particularly when Caesar is left in the primate facility.

Overall, it's not the most exciting soundtrack in the world but I know I'll be listening to it quite a lot in the coming weeks! My favourite tracks are: Lofty Swing, Muir Woods, Off You Go, Who Am I?, Golden Gate Bridge and Caesar's Home.

I would give this soundtrack a rating of 7/10.