Brokeback Mountain

Ang Lee has one of the most eccentric filmographies of any director working today; there can't be many who would follow up a comic book epic (the variable, but often interesting Hulk) with a quiet film about a sporadic, forbidden love between two cowboys. My only previous exposure to composer Gustavo Santaolalla's work is from 21 Grams which impressed me not at all. Fortunately, Brokeback Mountain is the kind of film that requires more than tedious electronic soundscapes, indeed it's pretty much what you might expect; lots of gentle guitars, a hint of strings and plentiful country songs.

If the track listing suggest that Santaolalla gets short shrift, then it's worth noting that, in addition to the handful of instrumental cues, tracks 4, 8, 10, 11 and 13 are songs written by the composer. All depend on some appreciation for country music, but are undeniably tuneful and given fine performances by Emmylou Harris and Mary McBride (although the song she performs, No One's Gonna Love You Like Me, teeters on the brink of spoof) amongst others. An Angel Went Up in Flames, performed by The Gas Band, comes across as a paraphrase of Classical Gas, the result is fun, but mildly curious change in direction.

While very pleasant, the instrumental tracks are very much incidental, functioning as short breaks between songs and never muster up any kind of memorable melody. Brokeback Mountain is likely to walk off with handfuls of gongs in the awards ceremony season and I wouldn't be surprised to see Gustavo Santaolalla's nominated a couple of times, although this would be more a result of being by association than a true reflection of its inherent quality. There is more to enjoy than I had originally imagined, but other composers have covered similarly territory much more effectively. One wonders what Mychael Danna, who scored Lee's earlier flick Ride with the Devil, might have done. Still, nice enough, although a propensity for country and western is recommended.