“MOONSHINE” FROM “THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL”
Alexandre Desplat
As is the case were Wes Anderson to win Best Directing, if Alexandre Desplat wins Best Original Score, it will be because he is due. Now, whether you agree with the Academy people because they are due and not because of their particular merits on the given nominated film is your own opinion, but Desplat, who has been nominated eight times (including twice this year) does exquisite work and has yet to take home any gold. He also attributed a similar score to Wes Anderson’s Academy Award nominated animated feature “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009). And the fact that he would win for this over anything else he has done would mean either the competition was somewhat lighter or the Academy felt him due for the award, as their is nothing particularly different about this score than his other masterful works.
The score of “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is light and chipper, creating the sense that often comes with a Wes Anderson film. It is humorous while bringing out the wacky nature of some of the characters and some of their situations. It has the urgency of a caper while having the bouncy feel of a “Keystone Cops” comedy. While many of the other nominees bring out emotions that are not necessarily particular to those specific films, Desplat’s score can immediately be associated with Wes Anderson’s product without mistake. And to be able to bring that kind of life to a score, to which it is married to its source material, is a huge feat for a composer.
What’s its competition? Not only is Alexandre Desplat facing off with another one of his scores in this category for “The Imitation Game”, he is also facing the Best Original Score Golden Globe winner Jóhann Jóhannsson for his work on “The Theory Of Everything” and one of the best composers in the history of scores, Hans Zimmer (“Interstellar”), so nothing is set in stone. With the odds being stacked in his favorite, there’s obviously a higher probability that Desplat will be taking home gold for at least one of his films, but do not count out the popularity of Zimmer or the amazing work done by Jóhannsson. And with “The Theory Of Everything” also nominated for Best Picture, Desplat does not necessarily hold any upper hands besides having to two irons in the fire.
// Produced by Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, and Jeremy Dawson // Directed by Wes Anderson //
// Dated Viewed: Sunday, January 25th, 2015 // BLU-RAY // 33 films – 29 days //
