Dave

One composer I can't fathom out at all is James Newton Howard. His action score to The Fugitive was nominated for an Oscar, his score for Waterworld was thrilling, on the other hand his other efforts can be unmemorable to say the least. A lot of the time he seems to have virtually no style of his own and is merely generic and tuneless, other times he writes lots of great themes and simply glows with personality. Fortunately, Dave is one of the latter and is one of his most charming and marvellously unnoticed efforts. It has some beautifully attractive melodies weaving in and out of it, some Marc Shaiman-ish sentimental sections, but also some bouncing comedy motifs. The film which features the wonderful Kevin Kline as a man who is the body double for the president after the real president is taken ill (or something) isn't quite what I'd say was a great premis for a film (seems kind of lame to me), however, it is pulled off brilliantly, with some genuinely moving moments as well as a great lump in the throat ending. A film that should hopefully melt the stoniest heart in the best tradition of Frank Capra.

The Main Titles is a lilting version of the main theme which bounces its way through several variations throughout the score. The Picnic introduces the main romantic theme. Essentially the stand in president gets on with the real president's wife better and when she finally works things about, they fall in love etc etc... It too is delightful, gentle and sentimental in the extreme, but who cares?! No gushingly sentimental comedy score would be without a few solo piano moments and neither is Dave, these weave in and out of gentle string and woodwind textures. There are of course a few more serious moments, one of the more dynamic cues is To the White House which features a snare drum and some heavy brass writing with a few John Williamsy climaxes. You're On also features a drum heavy routine with a few bits which remind me of civil war music (Gettysburg perhaps?), however it is the final thirty seconds or so of this cue that is a real highlight as it features a crescendo and then a piece of wonderful mock Copland, rodeo style music.

While there are a few slightly comedic moments, nothing ever seems done just for comedy sake and a lot is simply romantic and warm with the penultimate cue (Into the Fog) being the highlight of the film as the stand-in president (Dave of the title) disappears, having fooled the public, now disappears into obscurity. The string textures tug you toward bursting into tears and while many will say its overblown, its done with such dignity and genuine feeling that I like it all the more for being so delightful. The End Titles reprise all the major themes after a very jaunty introductory passage. A lovely ending to a seemingly passed up score that no-one who loves those Marc Shaiman romantic/comedy efforts or those who love Alan Silvestri in Forrest Gump mode should be without. Undemanding, but utterly delightful.