Thomas Newman: Skyfall

Gritty, realistic scenes in the most acclaimed Bond movie in history need the right mood of soundtrack - and Thomas Newman was just the man for the job.

Thomas Newman has often worked with Sam Mendes, director of Skyfall, in the past, with  previous collaborations including the highly-acclaimed likes of American Beauty and Revolutionary Road. When Mendes was unveiled as the director of the new Bond film, says Newman, he wasted no time in contacting his friend: “I very shyly emailed him and said, just so you know, I’d be overjoyed to do it, but would never want to be presumptuous. He emailed me back, saying 'I was just about to call you, let’s meet for lunch!'”

As is normal with Bond scores, there are references to the work of John Barry and Monty Norman, but Newman's fingerprints are all over the rest of it. His minimalist urges work perfectly with this new, Craig-era vein of Bond movie - subtle, gritty, effective music for a film that aims to bring an air of realism back to a franchise that could be accused of going off the rails more than most.