The Informers Composed by Christopher Young
Lakeshore Records (2009)
Rating:
5/10
Soundclips below provided by
AmazonMP3
“The slow pacing
found in most of the tracks serve to give a relaxing, yet
suspenseful mood. But make no mistake about it, there's definitely
nothing revolutionary about this score”
Greed is good. Sex is easy. Youth is forever. Only if you're
uninformed.
Review by Vince Chang
THE INFORMERS is a 2009 film directed by Gregor Jordan. The script was
written by Nicholas Jarecki and Bret Easton Ellis, who wrote the original
series of short stories back in 1994. The film contains 7 of the 13
linked, short-stories found in the original book. The stories make up a
broader slice-of-life snapshot of an entire week in the lives of social
circle of people who represent everything from the cream of the crop to
the scum of society. The plot creeps forward mostly just by showing their
interactions amongst themselves, always in morally deficient ways. An
entire subplot involving vampires was cut-out, presumably because a
supernatural theme seemed too out of place for a live-action movie
adaptation. The film was given only a limited release on April 24, 2009,
in 482 select movie theaters across the nation, and maybe rightfully so,
since it received scathing reviews by critics and the general public.
While best known for his works in the horror-genre with credits to titles
such as DRAG ME TO HELL, THE GRUDGE (the original and sequel), and THE
EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE, veteran composer CHRISTOPHER YOUNG was brought on
to undergird the darker textures of the film's plot. As a memorial note,
this was Brad Renfro's final film before he died on January 15, 2008 of a
heroin overdose.
Electric guitar, keyboard synth and bass are the dominant forces in this
entire soundtrack, with sparse percussion in the form of triangle,
cowbell, and other obscure instruments. There is also prominent use of
echo and stereo panning, especially in “What was, it is. What is, it's
not” (Track 3). Most of the tracks are slow paced, with many Latin rhythms
incorporated via percussion and electric bass. The result is a soundtrack
that consists of soft rock combined with elements of samba, salsa and
tango. The track titles mostly consist of explicitly sensual references
(“Please me, Please, Please”), hinting at the many love scenes throughout.
Unfortunately, most of the pieces presented here seem to drag. There
are; however, a couple of upbeat tracks like Malibu Dope (4), which that
features some interesting stomping, clapping and finger-snapping. I'm not
sure if they were sampled or recorded, but that addition did make things
quite lively. Track 7, “To Ryder, With Love”, was very sparse except for a
rock-out swell, which gradually dies down to the quiet track it started
as. “A Rose In All Things Beautiful” (11) is the only sentimental track
here which has a sense of longing in it, with the melodic theme being
played by the piano. Track 13, “Toupee Tango” was anything but tango; it
had more of an old Western flair to it. “Hawaiian Dissonance” (13),
certainly did have some dissonance in it, but it certainly wasn't jarring.
The progression is stale, but the juxtaposition of a clean electric sound,
piano, and a fully distorted electric guitar mix in lo-fi, rocking out was
certainly an interesting listen. The last track, entitled “Love is Love is
Love”, is a longer, more fleshed out reprise of Track 2, “Nothing But A
Broken Heart”. It incorporates a string orchestra in its final moments,
which makes for a more elegant version.
If anything, the slow pacing found in most of the tracks serve to give a
relaxing, yet suspenseful mood. But make no mistake about it, there's
definitely nothing revolutionary about this score. I'd say this is one of
CHRISTOPHER YOUNG's weaker works, but not necessarily his own fault, as
the film itself (or maybe even the screenplay) didn't give him much to
work with.
The Bottom Line: Only die-hard fans of the movie will really find this a
keeper. The only interesting mentions are the use of eclectically obscure
percussion and guitar/bass effects, but even that was overshadowed by the
slow pace of the score that sadly features little individuality between
tracks. Listeners hoping for more serious orchestration will be
disappointed.
NOTE: There is also compilation soundtrack out for
THE INFORMERS that includes the vocal songs done by various other
artists, which consists of eleven tracks, the last one being the end
credits song.
