Elizabeth: The Golden Age by
Craig Armstrong and A.R. Rahman
http://www.tracksounds.com/reviews/elizabeth_golden_age_craig_armstrong_a_r_rahman.htm
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Composed by Craig Armstrong
and A.R. Rahman
Decca Records (2007)
Rating: 7/10
The marriage of the film's visuals and score may not be a match made in
Westminster Abbey, but
spinning in your CD player, ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE should reign for sometime
Hollywood + Bollywood? By Golly wood!
Review by Christopher Coleman
One of 1998's surprise hits was director Shekhar Kapur's ELIZABETH. The
visually pleasing film
with solid acting performances by Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush help to earn
the film 7
Oscar nominations. Even composer David Hirschfelder's score was nominated for
an Oscar, but
ultimately lost to Nicola Piovani's LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL. Fast forward some ten
years and
part-two of the rumored trilogy, ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE brings back Kapur,
Blanchett, and
Rush...but this time with composers CRAIG ARMSTRONG and A.R. RAHMAN.
While ELIZABETH was met with both critical and popular acclaim, the second part
has not faired
as well. Much of the criticism lies within the art of the story falling prey
to the art of
editing suite and the costume and set department. Of course with the great
technological
strides made since 1998, the visual appeal of ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE could
be argued as
being even greater than it's predecessor. Ah...but a good film digital tricks
doth not make,
eh George?
Although his website dubbs him "Australia's Leading Film Composer" David
Hirschfelder hasn't
been attached to a major film since ELIZABETH, which begs the question as to
what happened to
such this promising composer of the late 90s. Reportedly, director Kapur's
original impulse
was to go for a dark, brooding type of score as ELIZABETH had, but later
changed his mind
wanting the film to be a bit more diverse. This choice inevitably effected the
type of score
the film would have to have. THE GOLDEN AGE ended up a modernized film
demanding a
modern-edged-score. For it to be handled by Armstrong and Rahman seems
fitting.
Actually, an even more intriguing than the absense of Hirschfelder was the
coupling of CRAIG
ARMSTRONG with A. R. RAHMAN. While either one would likely have been able to
do an ample job
for the film on their own, Kapur chose to bring on two composers with vastly
different
backgrounds. How the two and their styles would mesh would be a signficant
question to
address. Since the mid-nineties, composer Craig Armstrong has become fairly
well-known with
film scores for projects such as: PLUNKETT & MACLEANE, THE BONE COLLECTOR,
MOULIN ROUGE!, THE
QUIET AMERICAN, and WORLD TRADE CENTER. A.R. RAHMAN is less known in the
west, but is a
mega-star in India and other parts of Asia. While he may be better known for
his work in other
music genres, Rahman started to make a name for himself with his score for the
Chinese film,
WARRIORS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH (2004). Going far beyond his Indy roots, Rahman
proved in
WARRIORS that he could manage a highly textured, fully orchestral score.
ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN
AGE became an unlikely melting pot of the two talented composers vat of style
and technique.
This collaboration ends up working. The confluence of Armstrong and Rahman's
music forms a
river of highly entertaining music. Unless you are well versed in each
composer's body of
work, you might find it difficult to tell where Armstrong ends and Rahman
begins. That said,
there are moments where it is clearly Armstrong or clearly Rahman. Tracks like
"Immensities"
(5), "Smile Lines" (11), and "Love Theme" (16) are strong cousins to the
understated beauty
from WORLD TRADE CENTER. Likewise, A. R. RAHMAN's signature middle-eastern
vibe comes to the
forefront in "Divinity Theme" (17). Despite having two composers, the score
maintains a single
personality.
ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE is an monarch or two beyond what DAVID HIRSCHFELDER
established some
ten years ago in ELIZABETH. Instead of a dark, periodish score, this time
around director
Shekhar Kapur chose to contemporize things utilizing the considerable talents
of two composers.
The film may not find itself called out as often on Oscar Night this time;
however, it
certainly wouldn't be far-fetched to hear A.R. Rahman and Craig Armstrong's
names among the
nominees. Their collaborative work here is a detailed and textured score that
is surprisingly
contemporary. It flows from thematic heights to simplified romance to
pulsating battle-action.
The marriage of the film's visuals and score may not be a match made in
Westminster Abbey, but
spinning in your CD player, ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE should reign for sometime.
Rating: 7/10
