This is the sort of film music that I thought I would never hear
again. Harking back to Hollywood’s Golden Age it is reminiscent
of the romantic scores of Franz Waxman, Max Steiner and Korngold
but without what some might regard as the latter composer’s OTT
indulgencies. It is a symphonic score, beautifully crafted and
very melodic. In fact it stands very well as music for listening
away from the film - a very rare quality these days.
It
has to be said straightaway that this 2007 film only came to
my attention recently. It was hardly commercial and it seems
to have had a limited release. It only reached our local art-house
cinema late last year. I was so impressed with Rombi’s music
that I hastened to purchase the soundtrack recording – a very
rare indulgence for me these days when so many of today’s film
scores are nondescript at best and too many others abysmal.
The music is by classically-trained
French composer, arranger and conductor, Philippe
Rombi. His handiwork can be heard in: Les Amants Criminels
(1999); Swimming Pool (2003); Angel (2007) and Ricky
(2009).
François
Ozon’s film Angel is based on the novel of the same name
by Elizabeth Taylor - the novelist not the film star. The story
is about Angel Deverell, superbly portrayed by Romola Garai,
who prefers to live in a dream-world rather than face the realities
of living in a dull provincial town, Norley - a thinly disguised
Reading in England’s Home Counties. Her impossibly romantic
dreams form the basis of her escapist women’s novels that become
best-sellers. The screenplay is more sympathetic to her character
than Elizabeth Taylor’s darkly comic novel where Angel is treated
with unrelenting derision.
Rombi’s
main theme for the film is fragile and sweetly, dreamily sentimental,
beautifully heightening the romantic yearnings of the young
author. It climaxes joyfully as she reaches the pinnacle of
her success to be feted by her adoring fans (‘Success’ and ‘Crowning
Moment’). Similarly impressive is the passionate music for her
cock-eyed romantic involvement with the ungrateful and untalented
artist, Esme (‘Marry Me’). The music often employs the piano
in romantic concerto form: ‘Jealousy’ and ‘Together in Paradise’
the latter of which also has a lovely violin solo. The music
becomes increasingly tinged with grief and tragedy as World
War I and its after-effects rob Angel of her husband and her
fans. Her disillusion grows ever more bitter. Rombi’s treatment
of Nora, Angel’s devoted companion alternates between warmth
suggesting her loyalty and a tart irony that speaks of Nora’s
pathetic attachment to the utterly self-centred Angel. There
is a feeling of drabness and suffocation in Rombi’s evocation
of her home town Norley. Rombi also cleverly and subtly conveys
a sense of period in allusions to the music of Elgar particularly
in emulating that composer’s writing for woodwinds.
Below
is the track-listing, appended because the titles are lucid
and helpful unlike so many these days.
One
of the best romantic film scores in years.
Ian Lace
Track listing:
1) The Real Life of Angel Deverell [2:35]
2) Overture [2:59]
3) Paradise theme [2:46]
4) Angel’s theme [4:20]
5) Inspiration [2:35]
6) The Publisher [3:48]
7) London [0:47]
8) Norley [1:19]
9) Success [1:24]
10) Crowning Moment [1:07]
11) A Gift from Paradise [4;25]
12) Nora [1:14]
13) Visit to Esme [1:09]
14) Jealousy [2:40]
15) Mother’s Death [2:06]
16) Marry Me [1:41]
17) The Portrait/Honeymoon [1:49]
18) Together in Paradise [3:03]
19) The War [3;19]
20) Alone in Paradise [4:09]
21) In the Name of Love [3:08]
22) Esme’s Death [2:08]
23) Angelica [3:56]
24) Silky Boy [1:20]
25) Angel’s Death [4;53]
26) The Dreamed Life of Angel Deverell [2:28]
27) Angel’s Theme (alternate) [3:20]
