Alexandre Desplat is becoming well known for his delicate, intricately-written romance scores, with his Oscar-nominated soundtrack for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button being one of his most recent successes.
His talent for elegant, prancing instrumentation and swaying waltz themes has made him a new favorite composer for many in the film score community, and Cheri, his score to Stephen Frears’ new romantic film, is a delightfully breezy continuation of that style which has endeared him to so many collectors of orchestral film scores.
Affable Themes in Cheri Soundtrack
Unlike the delicate melancholy of Benjamin Button or the flashy action of Largo Winch, Cheri features an extremely lighthearted theme which is almost humorous in its pace and instrumentation. Introduced in a bouncing, mischievous manner in the title track, it skips and sprints about for slightly over four minutes, with a light string section being accompanied by Desplat’s typical light metallic percussion, piano and fluttering flutes.
Then things take a more serious tone, surprising the listener after the carefree fun of the first track. “The Rose Acacia” and “The Wedding” are both far more dramatic, with the former featuring a swooning waltz (Desplat’s waltzes are beginning to be an annual event!) and the latter being an almost urgent set-piece, featuring chopping strings and piano ostinatos , surrendering briefly in the middle of the track to an almost circus-like atmosphere, which features a rare trumpet solo (brass is typically not used in very blatant fashion in Desplat’s music).
Standout Cues in Desplat's Score
“First Kiss” reprises the cheery main theme, but in a slower, more tentative arrangement which slowly builds in emotional gravitas even as it lessens in volume and substance. “Flower Tunnel” is an extremely beautiful cue for high-range solo piano, with substantial reverb giving the cue a dreamy, distant feel. The effect of the full ensemble (and prominent viola) entering in a supporting role halfway through the cue is mesmerizing, to say the least.
The remainder of the score continues in its exquisite mixture of delicate romance and breezy fun, with some lovely standout cues (“To Biarritz” features a wonderful climax with substantial brass accompaniment, and “Pleasure and Happiness” reprises a strange but compelling synthesized rhythmic device heard occasionally throughout the album).
Summary
Desplat’s orchestrations are always attractive, but his fantastic blend of high-range piano, strings, light percussion and synthesizer with fuller, deeper sounds such as viola, cello and brass make this one of his most enjoyable and intelligent scores to date.
Corresponding to the instrumental balance is the emotional balance, with the album spending ample time to explore both the comedy and tender drama of the film. The result is an album which manages to delight, fascinate, compel, and move all at once, and its replay value is extremely high.
Like many Desplat scores, Cheri is amazingly pleasant and soothing on the surface and thus makes for perfect background music, but has such an intricacy and thematic depth that it is even more rewarding to pay careful attention to it, to search out its nuances and discover its countless hidden delights.
With an album length of just over 46 minutes, and a track arrangement which flows extremely well from cue to cue, it is as lovely and entertaining a score as any which has come out in 2009, and is yet another triumph for Alexandre Desplat. Cheri is highly recommended!!
See also: Coco Avant Chanel Soundtrack Review, Benjamin Button Soundtrack Review and Largo Winch Soundtrack Review
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