Customer Reviews

21 Grams (Score)

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4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Gustavo Santaolalla is a genius. Admittedly, few have truly heard of him outside of his scores for the likes of "Amos Perros" and "21 Grams", but, as the liner notes say, the man can do so much with so very little.

For those who saw the film (a personal pick for best film of 2003), one knows its gritty and highly emotive nature - powerhouse performances and sublime editing all add up to a gut-wrenching masterpiece of modern drama. Yet, unlike most films where the score simply stands idly by giving way to the scene, this is one of those rare scores where the score truly ENCHANCES the scenes, as well as makes a great standalone work. This is best exemplified by "Do We Lose 21 Grams?", the disc's opening number, and a gorgeous work. It's a simply guitar line that evokes so much with so little. Santaolalla goes on to dive into trip-hop "Can We Mix the Unmixable? (Remix)", solemn contemplation music ("Did This Really Happen?"), dark acoustics ("Should I Let Her Know?"), and even brings in the Kronos Quartet (though they are sadly underused) for the closing work "When Our Wings Are Cut, Can We Still Fly?".

Of course, of great note is also the inclusion of other songs, this time going out to the party hip-hop of Ozomatli's "Cut Chemist Suite", the classic "Low Rider" by War, Ann Sexton's nostalgic "You're Losing Me", and then what may be the highlight of the soundtrack - Benicio Del Toro's cover of the Elvis classic "Shake, Rattle & Roll". This isn't a conventional cover by any means - it's a six-minute epic of dark, brooding, atmosphere as Toro gives a dark monologue of the song's verses in what may be one of the creepiest covers you have ever heard (right next to The Dismemberment Plan's cover of Jennifer Paige's "Crush").

While the Dave Matthews song that rolls during the credits is not included, this album remains a classic example of how atmosphere is used to evoke powerful moods. Though dark, this is one of the most consistant soundtracks for any film of 2003, and Santaolalla's best work yet.

Being one the most popular producers in Rock En Espanol, I've kept an eye on Gustavo Santaolalla's solo productions. They are appealing to me partly because of how different they are from the material he produces for others. Among the bands that have worked with him are Cafe Tacuba, Molotov and other acts that are do not precisely play "quiet" music. Yet, Santaolalla's music is not jumpy or upbeat, but rather calm, almost on an ambient note, incorporating instruments native to South America.

In the score to "21 Grams", thanks to the extensive use of the bandoneon, there's a strong Argentinian flavor in the midst of the darkness that the music carries. The songs almost all have a voice of their own, which allows them to answer in musical terms the questions that the songtitles pose: "Do We Lose 21 Grams?", "Can I Be Forgiven?", "Can Light Be Found In The Darkness?". Complementing Santaolalla's tracks are a solid Ozomatli song, inviting eclectic tunes by War and Ann Sexton, a Ronroco-like song by Kronos Quartet and the most interesting rendition of "Shake Rattle and Roll" you will ever hear, sung (or rather recited in a dark tone) by Benicio Del Toro himself.

Though I didn't find the album to be his best work to date (I still feel his first one, "Ronroco" and the OST to "Amores Perros", which he majestically produced, are his best and second best albums), still I recommend it as an incredible work, one that I particularly enjoy listening at night, while writing or reading.

This movie is not exactly average. And the same applies to this magnificent soundtrack.
Some of the tracks featured are very flawed. Tracks 4, 7, 9, and 12 aren't really necessary. 4,9, and 12 are songs by other artists that I guess must be in the movie, and 7 is a totally bizarre track of Benicio Del Torro just saying, "Wash your face and hands. Get in the kitchen. I'm hungry," and so forth. I don't know what exactly went on during the production of that, but it kind of sounds like a drunken rant.
The other tracks however, are wonderful. The same theme is played in several, but the music is so atmospheric and charismatic that it doesn't get mundane. The tracks are filled with beautiful, and moody melodies that echo greatly the themes and meaning of the film itself.
A great aspect of the soundtrack is that the tracks are extremely short. The longest (Del Torro's insane hypnotic track) clocks in at six minutes. Most are about 2 minutes. This makes them accessible, short and sweet.
I especially love the second to last track "Can Light Be Found in the Darkness."
Rent the film, buy the soundtrack.

Gustavo's score for 21 Grams is haunting, beautiful, and evocative...unfortunately, too little of it appears on this album. Which is not really a fault of Varese Sarabande (this time), but mostly because there doesn't seem to be much more than 20-25 minutes of score in the movie, either. On the plus side, there is more score here than the terrible 15 minute treatment of Gustavo's Brokeback Mountain CD, but not much, and the additional songs are rather useless - Low Rider is a gooder, but completely out of place, Ann Sexton's is boring, the rap song is horrendous, and Shake Rattle and Roll is almost painful to listen to (6 minutes of Benicio Del Toro mutter an Elvis song is a lot to take).
That having said, I should really be focusing more on what's here than what isn't. The score is understated, but beautiful, and captures the mood of the film perfectly. The two final tracks were worth my 11 bucks alone - they're mysterious, moving, and rather wonderful. Because of the impact of the music, one wishes more of it was here than 20-25 minutes (not exactly sure how much score exactly is here), but then, that might just be a creative choice for the film.

Fastest shipping - especially for Standard !! Excellent service !! Good price, good product ! Thank You -- would recommend to everyone !

This is one of the best soundtracks I have ever come across. I totally recommend it, it's deep, moving, and powerful.

This sountrack is wonderful, the music composed by Gustavo Santaolalla transmits the deepest emotions to you.
This soundtrack is like the film, terrific and deep!

This is a beautiful, emotional score that fits perfectly with a beautiful and emotional film.

Gustavo Santaolalla composed a terrific score that is deep and moving that brings A LOT of emotion to the film.

This was a gift intended to be of the Motorcycle Diaries genre. A severe disappointment. Very little music, a lot of deep voice mystical inference. A little too extreme (weird?) if you are expecting music.