Sunday Brunch: Pleasant Surprises

Brunch isn't really a big deal over here but I love the idea of it - and enjoy going to brunch whilst on holiday. Whenever I'm throwing together ideas for a new story, one of my favourite things to do is go Google Maps-ing for all the nice restaurants in the area. As I have dairy intolerance, I often have to watch what I eat at restaurants so it's not always a fun experience. However, the rise of all those Food Network shows and Pinterest and all the great reviews on Yelp and Chowhound allow me to live vicariously through all you gastronauts. 

So, I thought I'd try and start a new feature (although I'm not good at keeping up features so we'll see) where we go for brunch on a Sunday, anywhere in the world, and have a chat. This week we'll be:

[CHILTERN FIREHOUSE, LONDON, ENGLAND]

One of the best feelings is being pleasantly surprised. I plan a lot in terms of what I'm going to watch and read (but oddly enough not with music. I'll listen to things on a whim) so I'm not often very surprised by the output*. Chances are, if I've addded it to the list, I vaguely know the story and what to expect. However, these past few days I've been pleasantly surprised by a book, a few films, and a concert. 

Chasing Forever Down by Nikki Godwin 

I'm going to write a proper review for this in the week but it was SO not what I expected. There's a bit of a mystery to it, which was compelling but the main thing that had me hooked was the friendship element. This story had real heart and warmth to it. I was just looking for something light to read alongside Americanah but Chasing Forever Down got under my skin and I'm so glad to see the little #1 in the title suggesting a second one is around or on the way. 

What Maisie Knew 

I've known about this film for a while because I remember the candids of Alexander Skarsgård on set being discussed over at Lainey Gossip. So, I put it on yesterday and was completely blown away. In short, Maisie's parents get a divorce and she ends up going back and forth between them, although their respective partners seem to do more of the parenting. Meanwhile, Maisie is just trying to be a kid, getting on with school, trying to draw castles. It's very quiet. Maisie isn't bratty or precocious, she's just a thoughtful, quiet child. Onata Aprile plays Maisie brilliantly - she manages to disappear into the background in the way a quiet child can sometimes but still makes sure you're thinking about her. Very clever. The way Maisie is taken under the wings of her step-parents (who are barely adults themselves) in the face of her parents' selfishness and bitterness is a little bit overwhelming. I watched the whole thing with a lump in my throat. Just a really beautiful film. 

Stuck In Love 

I'd never heard of this film until it cropped up in the suggestions on Neflix. Again, in short the story follows a year in the life and loves of The Borgen family who are still dealing with Mama and Papa Borgen's spearation. Now that I think about it, the tone reminds me a little bit of Crazy, Stupid, Love but quieter and even sweeter. There are so many different types of love shown through this family of four. It helps that the dad and the kids are writers so they aren't afraid of using their words. The characters were all really well rounded and most importantly the actors were all on their game, especially the youngsters. I know people kind of lumped Lily Collins in the 'young starlets who aren't Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone' category but I really think she is talented. This is the second indie I've seen her in where she's acted very well (the other being The English Teacher, also with Julianne Moore). Overall, I was just surprised by how sweet and real this film was. 

Star Trek Live  

On Thursday I had the great pleasure of seeing Star Trek Live in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall. I love the film and the score (obviously or else I wouldn't have bought the tickets) however I was taken aback by a few things. Firstly, the number of people who also love the score and seeing them in the flesh as opposed to online. The level of excitement and enthusiasm was amazing and infectious. Secondly, I always forget the power of the orchestra. I couldn't stop the goosebumps from forming and the joining in with the raucous applause and cheering as the surviving members of the Kelvin flew to safety and the orchestra crescendoed into that title sequence! Thirdly, I assumed the concert was being put on independent of the franchise - like when I saw Fantasia Live last year. WRONG. Simon Pegg a.k.a Scotty was there to introduce the show, which was a lovely surprise. He also introduced MICHAEL GIACCHINO! I can't imagine what it would've felt like to be him on the receiving end of all those much deserved rock star worthy cheers. In a way, I guess it's like when Mozart was the Harry Styles of his day. Then Michael Giacchino introduced...J.J ABRAMS!!!!! I thought people were going to seriously pass out. It was a small taste of what it must be like to go to one of those comic conventions. Finally, to put the icing on the cake, Michael Giacchino gave us a taster of his upcoming score for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which was great. 

So, have you had any pleasantly surprising experiences recently? 

Scores and Scores: Thomas Newman

I'd like to spend some time talking about the composers and soundtracks that made (and continue to make) me fall in love with film music. This is all personal opinion - I will not be doing a history of film music series or  anything, as I am nowhere near qualified to discuss it and the BBC aired a nice little series last year that would be helpful if that's what you're looking for. There's also no rhyme or reason for the order in which I discuss these composers and soundtracks. Anyway, on with the show...

I had to start with Thomas Newman because according to my Last.Fm page, he is second only to Muse in my most listened to artists of all time list. Just scrolling through IMDB, my first encounter with Thomas Newman's work was probably Little Women but the first time I actually became aware of his music was during the American Beauty hype. I was far too young at the time to see the film but the main title, Any Other Name, was everywhere, wasn't it? I just remember being completely taken in by the simplicity and sadness of it all contrasted with that infamous poster. Then of course it was turned into a dance track. Remember when those Chillout albums were all the rage?!

When I started secondary school, I had a brilliant RE teacher who loved film and television and always found a way to incorporate media into our lessons. We spent a loooong time on Pay It Forward and we were all really inspired, naturally. The music completely stood out for me. It was the jauntiness of the percussion, the almost Western (as in film genre) and/or comical sounds, and then that stark, mournful piano again. Also, these pieces were the ones that allowed me to recognise where Thomas Newman had been imitated in other films or television shows. For example, Sam's themes in Transformers is quite similar in style.

Next up, we have Finding Nemo. This film was groudbreaking and special on all kinds of levels, which was only enriched by a BEAUTIFUL score. The theme is used all over the shop these days, usually on the news or a documentary where the intention is to make your face start leaking. Thomas Newman's trademark recipe of world instruments + percussion + a leading piano melody echoed by strings really helped enhance that underwater, unknown world theme. Similar results occured with Wall-E. Define Dancing still brings a tear to my eye.

One of my most played Thomas Newman scores is Lemony Snicket's: A Series of Unfortunate Events. This is probably my favourite complete Thomas Newman score (and one of my favourite films). Again, the use of percussion helps us unlock our imaginations to the world - in this case, a world of inventions in strange settings with even stranger (and sinister) people, all seen from a child's perspective.

Finally, The Shawshank Redemption. One of the most loved films (which I only just got round to watching the other day, ahem) and one of the most loved film themes. How can a piece of music only 1.53 in length make you feel so much?! I listened to this for years without having any context and was still moved, so imagine how I felt when I finally watched the film the other day? As for Brooks Was Here...well, best not to even get started on that one.

Obviously, there's so much more we could talk about - just look at how many films Thomas Newman has scored all with his signature style. I didn't even get to the Six Feet Under theme. However, just the little we've covered is enough to demonstrate why, during this year's Hollywood Reporter Composers Roundtable, Hans Zimmer noted that Thomas Newman has "revolutionized harmoic language in films...forever".

Are you a Thomas Newman fan? If not, have a listen to this playlist. What's your favourite piece?