Score of the Month - Oblivion (2013) OST by M83

JohnnyTwoToes highly recommends the stunning M83 score of a rather insipid film

After being somewhat disappointed with Oblivion (2013), I will say that for all of Kosinski's lacking as a screenwriter, he is a good director that has a great vision. His films LOOK like a David Lean picture. Every shot is framed. lit and shot glorious fashion. 

Kosinski's significant other ability is picking class music acts to compose scores for his films. Daft Punk shot to the top with a classic score for Kosinki's first film Tron - Legacy. It was such a big hit it spawned a second score for Tron Legacy called Reconfigured. Both are available from Amazon.

He hits it right again with Oblivion whose score was composed by the french electronic synthpop shoegaze band - M83 fronted by Anthony Gonzalez and the American composer Joseph Trapanese (who also worked on Tron Legacy and is now also scoring the animated television series from Walt Disney called Tron Uprising).  For those clueless about M83 though,  Anthony Gonzalez is one of the founding members of this dreampop band named after the "spiral galaxy Messier 83". It has 5 existing members and 4 that are no longer with the group, most notably the other founding member Nicolas Fromageau who left in 2004. 

If I have just use just two words to describe the the score composed for Oblivion, it is "hauntingly mesmerizing" . Almost entirely electronic but a lush and beautiful score that really draws you into the film (too bad the script did not hold me there). The emotional strains of the entire score really help accentuate the memory dilemma of the Hero Jack (Tom Cruise). The score is solid and although some have compared it to being derivative of Tron, I could not disagree more. This score is more sweeping and full and would feel at home in a Tron film whereas Daft Punk's score would seem sparse and ineffective in relation to Oblivion's grandiose nobility. 

Don't get me wrong. I LOVED Daft Punk's score for Tron Legacy. It was a perfect fit. The same can be said for Oblivion. It is a perfect fit. The first track sets up the score with 'Jack's Dream' and particularly with track 14 'Earth 2077' which is effective in presenting a mystery of the future and a man with no past. There is not one track on this album that goes wrong; not one sour note. Even the end credits theme song performed by Norwegian singer and songwriter, Susanne Sundfør is a beautiful piece of musical composition. 

Oblivion is not overdone and the music is not bombastic like some of Hans Zimmer's scores have become. The music is floating and subtle, an yet it will stay with you. I actually bought both versions of the Oblivion score BEFORE I saw the film.  There is the original release of a little over 69 minutes of music for 17 tracks, which is great but if you are a stickler for the complete version like I am then opt for the complete score from iTunes with a little over a 113 minutes of score music with 30 tracks. You can't lose with either version but when in doubt go for the complete version. 

This is one of the year's best scores but I can guarantee you won't see it at Oscar time. Much too simple for the stuffy elites of the Academy. That's too bad. This, like Daft Punk's Tron Legacy, is worthy of that deserving (but elusive) accolade.