In Time Composed by Craig Armstrong
Promotional Release (2010)
Rating:
8/10
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“...ARMSTRONG’S
score is certainly not the most memorable of Sci-Fi soundtracks, but
is a constantly engaging listen, and does a fantastic job in
supporting the film.”
Simultaneous Warmth and Cold Feeling
Review by Richard Buxton
Creating a believable and engaging Sci-fi world requires a balance of both
the familiar and the uninhibitedly ambitious. Director ANDREW NICCOL,
director of the low-key but invigorating GATTACA, is certainly capable of
creating such a world. The musical world of IN TIME is an altogether
different prospect to that of the typical Sci-fi. The exploration of Andre
Niccol’s visualised future comes in the form of a reflection on human life
and most importantly: mortality. As a result, CRAIG ARMSTRONG bypasses the
typical overly synthetic soundscape of a visualised future, and has
crafted a score that is constantly ticking as its running time counts
down.
ARMSTRONG’S interpretation of IN TIME’S future is comprised of duelling
textures and thus emotions. This clash is immediately apparent in the
score’s main theme “In Time Main Theme” (1), as a blanket of warmth is
expertly grafted onto a cold and ambient exterior. The opening of
pulsating synths and hollow strings soon swell into life to create a
simultaneously warm but pensive texture. The propulsive synth heard in the
main title is a common theme throughout the score, and is translated onto
the percussion that acts as a pacemaker for the entire soundtrack. A
feeling of perpetual movement is felt as the percussions ticks over
throughout.
The following track, “Lost Century” (2) acts as a fantastic example of
ARMSTRONG’S efficiency in utilising the aforementioned hollow, but
ultimately very effective sound for this score. Swirling above the
percussion is a wailing string progression that, when accompanied by a
relentlessly ascending and descending string pattern, acts almost as a
siren’s call. Upon first hearing the track, it is hard to shake a feeling
that something is missing from the sound, that the string section is
devoid of the necessary warmth needed to create an attractive sound. As
the track develops however, the strings and percussion make for an intense
and chillingly exciting action-piece that makes for the origins of the
score’s greatest asset: action.
This asset, and the score overall reach their peak in the tracks
“Abduction” (11) and “Rooftop Chase” (18). Both work from similarly
rhythmic bases, as the percussion drives the erratic strings forward
towards climactic conclusions of orchestral mayhem. The rising action
theme is heard throughout both at various points and again in “Leaving the
Zone” (22), with each variation evolving as the overall sound reaches new
highs in of chaos. The writing of such relentlessly evolving and intense
music often brings with it the danger of sounding forced and ultimately
formulaic. The orchestration and multitude of layers heard utilised by
CRAIG ARMSTRONG in the action-oriented side of IN TIME, and these two
tracks in particular, show just enough restraint to avoid becoming
overbearing or forced. The sound has a controlled-frenzy manner to it that
combines well with the airy strings to craft moments of outstanding and
unrelenting intensity.
ARMSTRONG also experiences success away from the tumultuous action
scoring, having moulded a calmer but equally engaging sound for IN TIME’S
less chaotic moments. Heard in the likes of “Mother Times Out” (5) and
“Ocean” (10), the subtle variations on the main themes maintain the cold
string texture whilst adding slight layers of warmth as the overlapping
strings meld together.
ARMSTRONG shows that he is adept in switching between the two prevalent
styles heard within the score by seamlessly shifting from one to the
other. “Whatever We Have To” demonstrates this twice throughout its
running time as ARMSTRONG switches from synthetic and percussive suspense,
to swirling strings, and finally to a combination of both. The result is a
smooth transition between emotional states that avoids any jarring and
ultimately off-putting switches.
One of the great staples of a Sci-fi score is the use of synthetic sounds
in order to apply a more futuristic quality to a score. This can
occasionally result in unforgettable music, but is all too-often used in
an almost obligatory sense, without any real purpose other than to tick
the boxes. ARMSTRONG avoids this fate by intelligently integrating a
subtle use of synthetic sounds into the orchestral texture that dominates
the score. A continuous percussive synth is the perpetual accelerant in
“There’s Still Time” (24), whereas the pulsing synths heard in “Giving It
Away” (17) slowly creep in towards the climax of the piece, adding a
propulsive backing to the strings and woodwinds that expertly demonstrates
ARMSTRONG’S careful use of electronics, making sure that they do not
dominate the score and become almost token in nature.
Based on critical reception, IN TIME is unlikely to be at the forefront of
Sci-fi as a film genre in years to come. Likewise ARMSTRONG’S score is
certainly not the most memorable of Sci-Fi soundtracks, but is a
constantly engaging listen, and does a fantastic job in supporting the
film. In the end, that’s what film scores are for.
