I have to admit that I was somewhat shocked in seeing that no one has reviewed this soundtrack yet. So I'm going to attempt to do it some justice.
For those of you who have seen this movie starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, you must have noticed the beautiful music playing in the background. That aspect of it was actually one of the draws to the movie for me. So as soon as I could, I purchased the soundtrack and I have never regretted it. It's probably one of the most-played CDs I own. It's constantly in my player ready to be listened to at any time.
It's a brilliant soundtrack. All music for it is scored by the Polish stage composer, Jan A. P. Kaczmarek. And what a wonderful job of putting this music to the film. It so wonderfully captures all of the feelings/emotions tied in with the movie - it's quite fanciful for the most part, as is the movie itself (for those who don't know, "Finding Neverland" is about the author, J.M. Barrie, who wrote the infamous "Peter Pan"). For example, a track like "Dancing With the Bear" helps you picture exactly some sort of imaginary situation as J.M. Barrie did at that point in the film (as he danced with his dog, imagining it was a bear).
Even if you haven't seen the movie, this soundtrack is still definitely worth buying. You can always listen to it no matter your mood. I would classify it as 'classical' if I had to. It's great to put on in the background, or to sit and listen to unwind. It pretty much caters to feelings at any time, any place.
Instrumentally, it's very focused on violins/cellos, etc. But with many wind instruments also, which gives it that fantasy feeling throughout. There is also quite a bit of piano featured; played by pianist Leszek Mozdzer who does a brilliant job. A lot of it is somewhat of the same piece of music, played in different ways, with different instruments/tempos incorporated. But it is in no way boring at any point. In all, it flows very nicely. There is not one track I've been tempted to skip!
Personal favourite tracks I recommend checking out if you're at all hesitant are "The Kite," "This Is Neverland," and "Dancing With the Bear." These will give you a good taste of what this soundtrack all has to offer. Check out Amazon.co.uk (or Amazon.ca) for sound clips.
The CD has 23 songs in all and is just under an hour long. You definitely get your money's worth. And it's not overly pricey at all (usually around $18).
Check it out!
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How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Not applicable
How does it rate alongside the competition
Outstanding
Cover / Inlay Design and Content
Outstanding
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