Five best movie soundtracks of 2014
17 December 2014, 08:37 | Updated: 6 January 2017, 14:45
Classic FM's Composer-in-Residence and movie music supremo Howard Goodall picks the best film scores of the year.
Belle
Music by Rachel Portman
The Oscar-winning British composer provided the music for this true story of the mixed race daughter of an 18th century Royal Navy Admiral. "One of the reasons I like Rachel Portman's score so much for this is the delicacy and the restraint with which she portrays this story," says Howard Goodall.
Click below to hear Howard's review of Rachel Portman's score:
A Poet in New York
Music by Debbie Wiseman
Tom Hollander played Dylan Thomas in this television movie about the poet's last days. "I think this is Debbie Wiseman's finest score to date," says Howard. "It's a really lovely, graceful score based around the piano which she often plays herself."
Hear Howard's review:
The Congress
Music by Max Richter
Part live-action, part animation, Robin Wright played an aging, out-of-work actress who sells her body image to a film studio in order that her animated self will remain young forever and have a successful movie career. Howard says, "Max Richter has provided a very sophisticated and moody score for this film which poses a lot of really serious questions about celebrity."
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Music by Alexandre Desplat
Wes Anderson's story of the legendary concierge at a famous hotel in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka and the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. Howard describes Desplat's score as "quirky and mischievous...immense fun from start to finish. You just have a smile on your face the whole way through."
And Howard's favourite film - and score - of the year is:
Interstellar
Music by Hans Zimmer
"Not only is this my favourite film of 2014," says Howard of Christopher Nolan's sci-fi epic, "but I think it's Hans Zimmer's masterpiece as a score. He used a lot of organ alongside a big choir and orchestra and it creates a rich and warm feeling throughout the film."
