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SLEUTH
Enjoyable but repetitive thriller score
 A review by JAMES SOUTHALL

Music composed by
PATRICK DOYLE

Rating
* * *



Performed by
THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
conducted by
JAMES SHEARMAN

Orchestration
PATRICK DOYLE
JAMES SHEARMAN

Engineer
NICK WOLLAGE
Music Editor
CHRISTOPHER BENSTEAD
Produced by
MAGGIE RODFORD

Album running time
36:07

Released by
VARESE SARABANDE
Catalog number
VSD-6854

Album cover copyright (c) 2007 Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc.; review copyright (c) 2007 James Southall

A somewhat surprising film for Kenneth Branagh to be tackling, you might think, but here is his remake of Joseph L. Mankiewicz's Sleuth, a superior thriller featuring a score by John Addison.  This time round, Jude Law steps into the Michael Caine role, and Michael Caine steps into the Laurence Olivier one; and the screenplay is, much to my amazement, by Harold Pinter.  The film has, perhaps against expectations, got the best reviews of anything Branagh's directed in quite a while; of course, Patrick Doyle is along to provide the score.

It's an elegant, classy work, blessed with the kind of wit and sophistication a film like this would demand.  Choppy strings dominate, occasionally recalling Beethoven in the melody and frequently recalling Morricone in the arrangement, specifically the Italian composer's wonderful scores for Euro-thrillers in the 1970s.  The London Symphony Orchestra is credited, but I imagine nobody but their string players and pianist were required for the recording sessions; Doyle creates a wonderfully high-brow atmosphere with his ensemble.

Despite that, this is fundamentally a very simply score - the main theme is everywhere, underlying every track, and while there are many variations on it, because of the orchestral palette Doyle chose to employ there is never a shift of mood.  Therefore, even at 36 minutes (and seven of those being "dance mixes" of the theme by Patrick Doyle Jr, who I will probably uncontroversially speculate may be related to the composer) the score can grow quite old quite quickly.  I certainly imagine it fits the film like a glove, and equally many people will probably find the monothematic approach quite intoxicating, but I wish the composer had managed to bring slightly more variety here, just for the benefit of the album listener.

Despite that, it's a strong album, the third in quick succession from Patrick Doyle, seemingly back to being as hardworking as at the height of his career.  His collaborations with Kenneth Branagh have produced a rich range of film scores, and this is another new style for Doyle; while it is hardly a major work, it is an enjoyable, highly-entertaining one which - admittedly on a small-scale - provides much satisfaction.

Tracks

  1. The Visitor (2:06)
  2. The Ladder (2:49)
  3. You're Now You (1:26)
  4. I'm Not a Hairdresser (3:28)
  5. Black Arrival (2:22)
  6. Milo Tindle (2:17)
  7. I Was Lying (2:30)
  8. Itch Twitch (2:23)
  9. Rat in a Trap (2:26)
  10. One Set All (2:24)
  11. Cobblers (1:39)
  12. Sleuth (6:05)
  13. Too  Much Sleuth (3:51)
    14.