Reel and Roll: Analysis: Best Original Score 2015

Best Original Score

The Oscar Nominees:

1. The Hateful Eight (Ennio Morricone): Simply put, an amazing soundtrack that both evokes nostalgia for the yesteryear of say, a Segio Leone western, while also putting a new, twisted edge to it all with the growing sense of contained, tension-building composition of it.

2. Carol (Carter Burwell): Derivative of Philip Glass, sure, but it's splendid, spellbinding work that serves only to heighten Brief Encounter comparisons with it. It evokes the whole time and place of 50's New York so well and makes the suppressed emotion of scenes come out so beautifully, especially here:

3. Sicario (Jóhann Jóhannsson): I can't describe this score any better than to just say: hellish, uncomfortable to listen to, disorientating, and perfectly fitting to the film as a whole as you just feel the whole strenuous ardour of this most violent trip into Mexico's depth.

4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (John Williams): Have to put this a bit lower as a lot of my love for the score was for, of course, the original tunes, and the new stuff, while also excellent, I can't quite put up alongside the levels of Sicario, Carol, and The Hateful Eight. Nevertheless, excellent work from John Williams as always.

5. Bridge of Spies (Thomas Newman): Conventional stuff, and very John Williams-esque. Nevertheless it's largely solid throughout, with the following being a particular highlight:

My Awards Nominees:

1. The Hateful Eight

2. Carol

3. Mad Max: Fury Road (Junkie XL): Actually kind of an underrated aspect of the film, as it firstly fits in so perfectly with the dynamic, kinetic camera and performances. It's entertainingly grandiose when need be but also hits its emotional beats really well.

4. Sicario

5. Creed (Ludwig Goransson): I have to admit, like The Force Awakens this definitely comes from hitting the old sweet spot more than anything else. Nevertheless, it's a great reinvention of a classic soundtrack, and which somehow manages to implement Meek Mill (who really isn't my sort of type) into a song I actually have grown very fond of.