Reel and Roll Awards (1): The Best of Film Songs and Soundtracks 2018

Top 10 Original Songs - 

10. 'Look What I Found' - A Star is Born

One of the many A Star is Born songs I'll be discussing here, this song is a great transition within the film from the earthlier tones of Jackson Maine's (Bradley Cooper) influence as Ally (Lady Gaga) begins to develop her own personal style. Catchy, upbeat stuff, and the way the film segues into the song is beautiful.

9. 'Level It Up' - Sorry to Bother You 

Boots Riley, in addition to making a fine directorial debut here, is the frontman of hip hop band The Coup, and contributed to the soundtrack with some absolutely banging tunes. Though the single that made the Oscars shortlist, 'OYAHYTT', is a fine song in its own right, this is my favourite track, with such a kooky, offbeat energy that is perfectly fitting to the film at hand.

8. 'Always Remember Us This Way' - A Star is Born

I do love it when Gaga goes slow ('Brown Eyes' is one of my absolute favourites of hers), and this is a particularly good example of it. The song is just a very sweet and pleasant listen, with a particularly rousing climax, and though its placement in the film is kinda just 'okay Gaga here's a few minutes where you talk about performing a song then you perform the song', it works entirely.

7. 'Maybe It's Time' - A Star is Born 

One of Cooper's solo singles in the film, this is just a lovely old-fashioned ballad that is so simple yet within that simplicity, finds such a poignancy both in its harmony and lyrics in its ironic echo of the 'times a'changing' theme of a man who can do anything but.

6. 'Easy Come, Easy Go' - Blindspotting 

David Diggs and Rafael Casal have a particularly striking friendship dynamic that comes across beautifully onscreen, and through music too. Rap is used beautifully throughout the film to create quite the intriguing journey of our central characters (if you haven't seen it, that finale will really shock you), and this song is a killer, as it just seems like something their characters within the film would perform.

5. 'Pray For Me' - Black Panther 

While I certainly don't mind that the Academy went for 'All the Stars' in the end, I do always prefer it when an original song is integrated within the film itself (in this case the casino scene), and honestly I just prefer this song on the whole. The combination of the Weekend's vocals and Kendrick Lamar's rap just feels a lot more catchy, and the song itself also perfectly enraptures the film's tone.

4. 'Shallow - A Star is Born 

The song that's been taking the world by storm since it appeared in the very first trailer, and rightfully since it is a great song in itself, and also a scene within the film, even though it does require some suspension of belief. I really like the first half with Cooper's vocals leading the way, but what I love is how when Ally's voice comes in it charters the growing confidence of her onstage in a way that feels both earned and cathartic.

3. 'Revelation' - Boy Erased

One of the more unfortunate snubs at the Oscars, as it deserve a nomination over most of its competition. Now one can perhaps question the song's lack of a real emotional 'oomph',  but I thought it was perfectly fitting to the nature of the (very underrated) and very reserved yet poignant film it supplements. Although I have reservations about one of the two instances it was used, it is an excellent, powerful song by Troye Sivan (who also stars in the film).

Runner-up: 'I'll Never Love Again' - A Star is Born

I would say that the second half of A Star is Born is weaker than the first half, but what it does absolutely nail is the hard-hitting, tearjerking moments. One of them belonging to Cooper, and the other to Gaga in this final number of the film. It's an absolute knockout of a power ballad that utilises Gaga's voice to its full potential. Although I will admit though I'm a huge fan of the album version of the song, I'm an even bigger fan of how it ends in the film version.

WINNER: 
'When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings' - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs 

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs closes the first of its six stories with this spectacular song. SPOILER ALERT if you haven't seen the film yet, though I've put in a youtube video which doesn't feature the actual scene itself. I love, love, love the song as this wonderful tribute to the musical westerns of old and this poignant lamenting of the passing of the old order for the new, and perfectly performed by both Willie Watson and Tim Blake Nelson.

Top 10 Soundtracks -

10. Crazy Rich Asians 

A soundtrack which hits the good ol' fashioned sweet spot, I will admit a part of me is biased to see a Hollywood film use an almost entirely Chinese language-centric soundtrack. And the best sequence in this regard being Rachel strutting out to the wedding ceremony of Colin and Araminta to Sally Yeh's cover of 'Material Girl'.

9. Creed II 

One thing the Creed series has done really well in has been the use of music, striking a fine balance between the Rocky tunes of old and the infusion of the 'new', trendy stuff. Now a lot of this is down to Ludwig Göransson's work which I'll get onto more in a bit, but a lot of credit also has to go to the use of songs. Now in that regard I wouldn't say it's an entirely flawless soundtrack and I'm glad the film itself largely relies on the score for the most part, but the montage sequence involving 'Runnin' is pretty good, as are Tessa Thompson's songs as per usual. 

8. Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Now here's an example of a soundtrack that doesn't at all try to draw attention to itself, instead it perfectly helps to amplify the atmosphere of the film in a sort of setting where directors might not always know how to assert their stylistic touches, the 1990s, well Marielle Heller has just the right idea. Solid work on this front which never tries too hard, and does its job immaculately.

7. The Old Man and the Gun 

As is typical for a David Lowrey film, the use of music here is fairly exceptional and frequently quite extraordinary. Each song really captures the feel of the old-school mischief of its central character, and honestly making it feel so much like one of those old crime capers of the days yonder. I have to say though, they really missed out an opportunity to have Tom Waits be part of the soundtrack.

6. Deadpool 2 

Now this is an interesting one in that the one original song, 'Ashes' by Celine Dion, is fine and just about serves its purpose, but honestly it's probably the least memorable part of the soundtrack. The biggest leap made from the first film is arguably in this department overall. Of course there's the expected ironic use of songs like 'All Out of Love' and 'If I Could Turn Back Time' which are very funny, and I liked the pisstake jokes about dubstep through Skrillex and a surprisingly sweet yet still funny use of Peter Gabriel's 'In Your Eyes'. The highlight though, is its use of a slow version of 'Take On Me', which is the best scene in the film, and not necessarily in the way you'd expect from a Deadpool film.

5. Bad Times at the El Royale 

These strangers trapped in one setting films do seem to have cracking soundtracks. And while the concoction here is not quite of that amazing blend Tarantino found in The Hateful Eight, it's still a pretty great blend in that regard. It makes a particularly good use of Cynthia Erivo's beautiful singing voice, that actually contributes really well to the plot, the jukebox tunes are always welcome stylistic choices. In fact thinking more about it, while I didn't love the film overall, perhaps I'm not giving aspects of it the credit it deserves, like Drew Goddard's direction and its use of music in scenes like Billy Lee's entrance is pretty amazing.

4. The Favourite 

I actually think the film's soundtrack hasn't received quite enough praise for how brilliantly it implements classical music in such an atypical way for a period piece. From the beautiful use of Vivaldi to emphasise the grandeur to the courtly oppressive air of Luc Ferrari's 'Didascalies', it's just a phenomenal combination of tunes which adds to the film so much. Plus, absolutely love the harphiscord version of Elton John's 'Skyline Pigeon' for the credits.

3. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again 

Alright. I'm not too cool for school. I love ABBA, and I really enjoyed this film - despite finding the first film to be an overly schlocky and maudlin piece of vapid holidaying tripe. There, I said it. But I did really like this - Godfather Part II-esque story structure, the sheer unbridled enthusiasm of everyone playing up the camp, Lily James finally being given a role where she's not just expected to stand there and seem pretty, and of course the soundtrack. Now frankly I felt the songs this time round just carried so much more energy to them, with particular highlights being a very fun take on 'Waterloo', 'When I Kissed the Teacher' is a delight, 'Angel Eyes' is a lot of fun, and they improve on previous renditions - even Pierce Brosnan's singing is put to really good use this time. Also, while it doesn't make sense and its implementation is pretty out of place, I loved the 'Fernando' scene with of all people, Cher and Andy Garcia, and the ending packs quite the punch also thanks to the songs. I'll admit this might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really took to it.

Runner-up: Cold War 

Honestly a film I should probably re-watch as it left me a bit cold initially, though I did admire it. One honestly can't praise it enough on account of its technical elements though, several of which I'll be getting into soon enough, and among them being the magnificent use of music. The way the film plays out as almost an anti-A Star is Born is really quite fascinating through its use of music, as each sequence creates such a coldness that nevertheless feels a sort of connection through each song, each beautifully shot, performed, co-ordinated. It's a marvellous soundtrack.

WINNER: A Star is Born 

Need I explain more?

Top 10 Original Scores - 

10. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 

Daniel Pemberton is a really talented composer, whose best work thus far was probably for Danny Boyle's Steve Jobs. He brings that same sort of kinetic energy here to this rather wild and entertaining ride of a film, and I particularly like the way he distinguishes between the different 'styles' of Spider-Men and Spider-Verses. I have a particular affinity for 'Spider-Team Mission'.

9. Creed II 

Once again Adnois Creed's theme is great, great job by Ludwig Göransson as always, and the variations on the original themes are great, and the Drago theme is pitch-perfect (particularly like the music used for the walkout). Its may not reach the heights of the original films or even the first Creed but is notable work in itself.

8. Black Panther

A great deal of credit must go to Göransson (again!) here for breaking free from the Marvel mould and creating a genuinely great score. The Wakanda theme is such a great representation of the setting, particularly in its use of percussion, the 'Ancestral Plane' music is sublime, and Killmonger's theme is particularly great stuff that captures the character perfectly. 

7. The Old Man and the Gun 

As with its soundtrack, the score by Daniel Hart is such a great old-time bundle of themes that capture that cheeky tone to the proceedings. I have a particular fondness for each of the very low-key pieces used in the romantic scenes between Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek's characters. Unassuming work that fits the unassuming tone of the film perfectly. 

6. Mission Impossible: Fallout 

Lorne Balfe could've afforded to be lazy here, as honestly the most important thing about any Mission Impossible film is how they use that iconic theme. He doesn't use that as a crutch at all though, and makes use of the music to amplify each action sequence brilliantly, the 'Fallout' variation on the main theme is great arrangement of existing tunes, and the 'Escape Through Paris' is a highlight of the whole thing that makes that whole scene all the more memorable.

5. McQueen 

A decent enough documentary about the fashion designer Alexander McQueen that's greatly amplified by its use of the Michael Nyman score, that is honestly a work of art in itself. It creates this suitably grand yet melancholic air that's a fitting tribute to the man himself, and actually accentuates the changing tones of McQueen's own life rather impeccably, from the dark to the light. Plus it's just great to listen to.

4. Halloween 

While a bit of a disappointing return to Michael Myers overall, I do think that the score to the film is rather brilliant - and fittingly it's John Carpenter coming back to do it (the best part of the film being the original master, who would've thunk it). It honestly brings the horror of every sequence just on an audible level, and even when the film falters in trying to almost go too ridiculous, Carpenter's old-fashioned yet also refreshing take on his original score, including that iconic theme, is so compelling.

3. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs 

Once again, Carter Burwell kills it with the Coen Brothers, and once again he's snubbed for one of their collaborations. Although I can't complain too much with the Academy deciding to rectify their errors of previous years with nominations for his Carol and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri work. Once again, this is Burwell at his finest, and might I once again direct everyone to his really lovely website where he discusses his work in-depth http://www.carterburwell.com/projects/Ballad_of_Buster_Scruggs.shtml. Interesting that he considers that he failed to 'tie' everything together with the score, but he really didn't have to in my opinion, as his score for each story segment creates that right sort of distinction between them. I have a particular affection for the sprightly 'Randall Collins' that's perfect for the titular tale, 'Canyon Awake' and 'Goodbye Canyon' that are such great footnotes to the Tom Waits story (which probably has the best tune), the adventurous 'The Oregon Trail' and the heartbreaking 'The Gal Who Got Rattled' that work so well as contrasts within the same story, and those are just the few of the highlights of one of Carter Burwell's great filmography.

2. Mandy 

Oh, this is such a great score by the late, great Jóhann Jóhannsson, and most unfortunately his swan song. It's a score that reminds me more than anything of 1980s John Carpenters, that is honestly a level above the (pretty good) film. It's a real talent who can compose something as downright ominous as 'Sand' and 'Dive-Bomb Blues' while bringing such eerily tender composure to the Love Theme for the titular character, or the concluding 'Children of the New Dawn'.

WINNER: First Man 

While I liked many scores this year, and flat-out adored the ones to Mandy and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - plus If Beale Street Could Talk unseen that's got astonishing music I've already been listening to - , my choice for score of the year is easily First Man which is perhaps the most egregious snub at the Oscars, especially considering it won the Golden Globe. Justin Hurwitz tops his already incredible work in La La Land here with an extraordinary score that follows that same approach of using recurring motifs in differing contexts.

The use of the theremin has been given notice, and that's an excellent touch that helps to add to the period setting, and contributes so well to the score particularly in 'Contingency Statement' and gives that scene the added punch it requires.

Also worth noting too are nice little atypical touches like the 'Whitey on the Moon' song which Hurwitz collaborated with singer Leon Bridges on, which is not only catchy but a very socially relevant bit to the film.

There's certainly the grandeur that you'd expect from a film of this ilk. From the sense of adventure that bodes with 'Houston', the claustraphobic airs of 'Spin', and perhaps my favourite in the 'Apollo 11 Launch' as Hurwitz builds from such a quiet, whispery beginning to an epic crescendo of glory, fear, anticipation, and sheer wonder.

At its heart though, First Man is a tale of one man's journey, and I thought it was this regard which turns it from from just a great score to a magnificent one. I love how the Armstrongs have their own theme, a beautiful melodic piece which eventually results in 'The Landing' which is just a breathtaking, grand piece that also carries through the underlying themes of Armstrong's love, though repressed, for his family in its recurring use of the Armstrong theme.

While on the other hand you have the quiet grief of 'Karen' and the melancholy of 'Squawk Box' culminating in the double whammy of 'Home' and 'Crater' on the moon. SPOILERS but the music along with the visuals, direction, and performance in these moments create an unforgettable emotional experience.

I should note that the If Beale Street Could Talk score by Nicholas Britell is absolutely gorgeous, I still have to wait till February to see it, but it would definitely make my top 5 just by listening to it alone. I suppose I'll add it back in here when I've formally seen it. Also, they weren't released in 2018 by my release date rules but the scores to Paddington 2, Death of Stalin, and You Were Never Really Here were really fantastic too.