Hans, congrats on a job well done
Clark Douglas | Fayetteville, GA | 01/17/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Dear Hans,
Thanks so much for the gift that you've given to all of us as film score fans to kick off the year 2005. Spanglish is your most delicate score to date, and it's absolutely fabulous. It's music that really supports the movie rather than distracts from it, making the images and relationships on the screen stronger. I love the way you've fused a Spanish flavor into the romantic orchestra music without making it seem overly obvious or cliched. The score worked for me in much the same way the film did... It began nicely enough, and as it approached the end, it had subtly grabbed at my heart, and I knew all the themes. Then, in your "Bus Stop" finale, when the orchestra really soared in a gorgeous way with them, it was almost enough to make me cry. That may sound a bit wimpy, I know, but it was music I could really feel, it touched me. Thanks. I enjoy the more masculine electronically-enhanced action scores you've done, of course, but it's great to hear you dive into a gentle, light, touching, purely orchestral score. I really believe you've grown stronger and more mature as a composer in recent years. 2003's "Tears of the Sun" was a mixed experiment, but the production values were stunning, I adored the quirky Mathcstick Men, and "The Last Samurai" ranks as one of your career highlights in my mind. "King Arthur" and "Thunderbirds" were also a load of fun. I saw on IMDB you have five (?) films slated for this year. Here's hoping each one of those scores gets a release, I'm sure they'll be worth my money. Thanks again for Spanglish, and for all your great scores. I look forward to hearing from you again soon.
"