Writer/director David O. Russell, once on Hollywood’s shit list for his antagonizing movie set antics, has turned his career around to an astonishing degree.
It started with The Fighter, which netted him Oscar nominations for both writing and direction and supporting acting wins for Christian Bale and Melissa Leo (the film was also nominated for Best Picture and two other awards).
Great movies invariably have great soundtracks.
Whether the music is original score or a compilation of existing songs, whether it’s in-your-face or subtle, it plays almost as big a role as the script, acting and camerawork. The best soundtracks are like another character in the film.
In a neat bit of confluence, the first day of 2014 coincides with my 2,000th Song of the Day post. Funny to think that’s been destined to be the case since I posted Song of the Day #1 on July 25, 2008, but I didn’t know it until now.
Beyoncé aside, I did a pretty good job of avoiding any late-year surprises in the music world. But just last week I had one of my most sublime musical experiences of the year in a movie theater.
Recently I was asked, during a business meeting of all things, for the name of my favorite filmmaker. That’s the kind of question a guy like me needs a week and a series of spreadsheets to answer, but that wasn’t an option. I had to go with my gut, and my gut said “The Coen Brothers.”
I suspect a week and a series of spreadsheets would have arrived at the same conclusion.
Like everybody who writes about music for fun or profit, I was thrown for a loop by Beyoncé’s surprise self-titled Dec. 13 release. All those year-end wrap-ups were suddenly and hopelessly out-of-date.
This release was the biggest popular music story of the year, both for what it means for the industry and because of its perfect, top secret execution by one of the most scrutinized women in the world.
