IFMCA fall big time for Williams

My two favourite musical scores of the year, War Horse and Tintin by the immortal John Williams, aren't likely to wrestle the Best Original Score Oscar away from The Artist on Sunday, but they did manage to win four awards from the International Film Music Critics, while the man himself additionally won Composer of the Year. It's a nice group of winners all around, which includes Cliff Martinez's Academy-DQed score for Drive.

FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR
War Horse, John Williams

FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR
John Williams

IFMC Awards nominations

The International Film Music Critics always feel a bit late out of the gate with their yearly awards, but I'm usually glad to see them. Their compartmentalization of various genres helps shine a light on the many composers who don't crack the lineup of the Academy's insular music branch. I'm pleased, for instance, to see Cliff Martinez and The Chemical Brothers each pop up here, even though it's not in the Film Score of the Year category.

Film Score of the Year
The Adventures of Tintin (John Williams)
The Artist (Ludovic Bource) Will win
The Greatest Miracle (Mark McKenzie)
Hugo (Howard Shore)
War Horse (John Williams) Should win

Review - Drive

A few thoughts on Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive, an art house character study wrapped in a violent crime drama and advertised as a high-speed action movie:

Ryan Gosling plays a nameless driver for hire, running the gamut from Hollywood stunt work to manning the getaway car for various mob jobs. He is a soft spoken man of few words, but beyond his humble facade lies a dangerous disposition. When the mother and son who live down the hall from him become innocent, unintended targets of a tense mob conflict, the circumstances unleash the driver's deceptively powerful sting.