Kingdom of Heaven | It’s visually lush and enchanting with a remarkable score by Harry Gregson-Williams. Jeremy Irons is fantastic and Edward Norton really delivers as the “leper king.” Still culturally relevant since its release, the film has more to do with the good and evil within people than that which exists between faiths. Also, Eva Green is in it.

Sunshine | Danny Boyle may very well be my favorite director. Sunshine hits the heart of the sci-fi genre: behind all the technology, it’s ultimately about humanity. Also, Rose Byrne is in it.

Pan’s Labyrinth | “A fairy tale for grown ups,” the film contrasts fantasy with the brutal reality of human violence.

The Motorcycle Diaries | A flat-out beautiful film with one of the best taglines ever, a quote from Che Guevara: “Let the world change you and you can change the world.”

Braveheart | Probably my favorite film of all time with one of the most moving scores ever by James Horner (Glory, Titanic). If anything can be both uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time, this is it. By the way, movie trailers in 1995 totally blew.

www.foxsearchlight.com/sunshine/
www.emimusicpub.com/worldwide/artist_profile/john-murphy_profile.html

John Murphy, who collaborated with Danny Boyle on several prior films, composed a hauntingly uplifting soundtrack for “Sunshine,” a film of elegant poignancy. And while I can cross-analyze every note, I feel it a pointless endeavor, as you can simply decipher its greatness on your own…

Trailer set to “Lux Aeterna” from the Requiem for a Dream OST

I confess I haven’t been in the mood for writing lately. First of all, Performer Magazine consolidated its offices to Boston in an effort to survive the economic downfall, resulting in regional layoffs and massive organizational changes. Sadly, our West Coast Editor, Katherine Hoffert, is no longer with Performer. She’s a fantastic person and I owe her a lot (a lot). Katherine, best of luck to you (not that you’ll need it).

Secondly, and on a wholly separate note, the past month left me experiencing a form of true love I had never known before… and in a devious twist of fate, I learned it could never be. But for her, I’ll always hold a sense of caring that permeates deeper than anything else, that I could be content just being there always, if only to make her happy, even if I can’t truly be hers.

“Mercury” – Poignant and Simple

Anyway, it’s a new year and I thought it appropriate to share the soundtrack to “Sunshine,” one of my favorite films by one of my favorite directors. The film is hopeful but somber, and the characters find humanity through deep sacrifice and their ability to endure. Such is life.

And I promise I’ll try and write more

:-)

“The Surface of the Sun” – The Film’s Grand Number

“Only dream I ever have… is it the surface of the sun?
Every time I shut my eyes… it’s always the same.”