Best Score Ranking: 2010

Here's my personal ranking of this year's crop of Best Score nominees. For those of you who want to read more about these scores and what I thought of them (albeit, in a much more objective light) you can check out my post for LAMB Devours the Oscars!

5. 127 Hours - A.R. Rahman

I really think the score enhances the film though if you compare it to the others, it just seems a bit amateurish. Rahman is forced to be more traditional and unfortunately it doesn't quite work as well as "Slumdog Millionaire".

4. Inception - Hans Zimmer

Oh, Hans. I've said it before, Hans Zimmer can only write loudly and unfortunately it begins to get tiresome. I also wasn't a big fan of the movie itself. However, his style works well for "Inception", and for the most part it's a very successful score that creates a mood. It's also very important to consider that it has become really iconic since the film's release.

3. The King's Speech - Alexandre Desplat

Alexandre Desplat is never bad - this is certainly lesser work but it's still quite lovely and so, so effective. I love Desplat's orchestration...the instruments are so beautifully mixed and mingled and the tender sound is so lovable. It's not his best work, not even his best from the year but it's still amazing how unique it is.

2. How to Train Your Dragon - John Powell

In my opinion, Powell's score is the best part of HTTYD, which as you all may know, I majorly loved. The sweeping epic strings are traditional but beautiful. Powell has a lot of great moments to work with and be flashy, and his tender and fun score makes the movie soar.

1. The Social Network - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Okay, I love this score. I'd call the "Hand Covers Bruise" theme the best opening movie theme since, like, "Lord of the Rings" or "Harry Potter". Every single piece of this score is just so, so effective and not only that, but it stands alone marvelously. A unique, fantastic masterpiece.

Should Have Been Nominated: Honestly, from the eligible scores, I think this was the best possible lineup (I haven't seen "The Ghost Writer"), except the snub for Rabbit Hole (Anton Sanko). Ineligible scores that I personally love include I Am Love (John Adams), True Grit (Carter Burwell), Black Swan (Clint Mansell) and Scott Pilgrim VS the World (Nigel Godrich).

Check out the updated overall ranking!

What were your favorite scores of the year? Sound off below!

Golden Cornea Awards 2011: The Scores

Well hello everyone, and welcome to the first ever Golden Cornea Awards! My personal favorites in the year of film. I'm going to start with my favorite scores from the year. I've separated them into two categories in order for it to make more sense. Sorry, I know I'm a bit long-winded. :)

Best Adapted Score

5. Armand Amar - "The Concert"

"The Concert" mixes great classical works with the beautiful score by Amar to such great effect, using the works of masters like Tchaikovsky and Mahler beautifully.

4. Carter Burwell - "True Grit"

The use of hymns is simply perfect and Burwell's arrangements are stellar. A simply gorgeous score that works solely for the movie's benefit.

3. Grizzly Bear - "Blue Valentine"

Grizzly Bear's poignant arrangements may have been slightly overemphasized in the sound mix but nonetheless are a perfect backing track to the emotions taking place on screen - neither aiming to dominate or change the tone but simply to accentuate the work of Williams and Gosling.

2. Clint Mansell - "Black Swan"

It's almost impossible to tell where Mansell begins and Tchaikovsky ends but the use of both of their music intensifies and scares, creating a Classically Romantic score unlike that of any other horror movie.

1. John Adams - "I Am Love"

The use of John Adams's unbelievable music in this film is absolutely perfect. It's gorgeous and lush but there's that sinister underbelly that lies just beneath the surface, just like the characters in the film, and it's impossible to deny the music's intensifying of that last scene.

Best Original Score

5. Akihiko Matsumoso - "Summer Wars"

Just like the movie, Matsumoso's score is whimsical and fun, and it makes a more-than-perfect companion to the eye-popping visuals.

4. Anton Sanko - "Rabbit Hole"

It's so subtle, you nearly forget it's there - and yet, the simple and the innocent instrumentation led by piano and clarinet creates a heartwrenching accompaniment to the poignant film.

3. Nigel Godrich - "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World"

The song soundtrack is amazing but when it's not playing Godrich's hyperactive 8-bit rock score makes for a fun and frenetic musical soundscape that perfectly embodies the film and its characters. And, even when things get a little bit more sensitive, the score rises to the challenge with soft, Pitchfork-friendly atmospheres.

2. John Powell - "How to Train Your Dragon"

Seeing "How to Train Your Dragon" for the first time, the thing that jumped out at me the most was John Powell's sweeping, moving and epic score. Sure, it's very conventional compared to the other scores I've singled out but that doesn't mean it's any less. With a theme that is orchestrated perfectly so many times throughout, I get goosebumps every time I hear it.

1. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - "The Social Network"

No score this year has had the power to affect its movie as much as the score for "The Social Network" has. The main theme, though ridiculously simple, is so ridiculously perfect - the organic sound of piano over electronic textures is a remarkable combo that adds a whole other level of emotion each time it is played. And, the rest of the score doesn't fall short - it can be quiet, exciting, subtle or suspenseful, sometimes all within a single track. A simply perfect score.

Honorable Mentions: Edward Shearmur's score for "Mother and Child" is simple, poignant and beautiful, if not a bit unfocused; there's not much there but Byeung Woo Lee's score for "Mother" frames the film perfectly; I'm not a huge fan of Hans Zimmer and I do think it's a bit too loud but "Inception"'s score is still worthy of recognition; it's lesser Desplat but it's still Desplat - "The King's Speech" is lovely.

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So there you have it. What were your favorite scores of the year? Since music is so subjective, it's a lot of fun to hear everyone's opinions. Sound off below!

Best Score Ranking: 2006

5. Babel - Gustavo Santaolalla

Even though I quite love this movie, that doesn't mean I can't hate on its score, which is really nothing more than glorified background music. And, as incidental muzak it's perfectly fine, in fact it's quite good, but it is nothing that belongs anywhere near an Oscar nomination (let alone a win). The best moment in the score (which I've sampled above) was the final scene, and Santaolalla didn't even write it! It's an old piece called "Bibo no Aozora", by other Oscar-winner Ryuichi Sakamoto. The Academy really should have done their research on this one...*sigh*

4. The Good German - Thomas Newman

Very good work from one of my favorite film scorers, Thomas Newman. It's really good, especially in that opening - however, something feels off about it. It's old-fashioned in the best sense of the word, but for some reason it still doesn't completely fit. Perhaps it was more the movie's fault than its own, because it's still pretty good. (Sorry, I couldn't find a clip of it on Youtube!)

3. The Queen - Alexandre Desplat

Alexandre's first Oscar nomination is one of my favorite of his scores. It can't be easy to write for small, intimate movies like "The Queen" but Desplat does it very well - the score is as refined as the film and its characters, and it has an element of whimsy to it that just works greatly. You almost forget it's there, but that's not at all a bad thing. Sometimes it's good to be subtle! (Take notes Hans Zimmer...)

2. Notes on a Scandal - Philip Glass

I looooove Philip Glass. Without this score, "Notes" would not have been half as intense as it was, and it's truly fabulous work. I suppose at times it can come off as being a bit overbearing, but it's not that big of a problem. Glass's minimal structures and powerful harmonies are perfect for this tense drama.

1. Pan's Labyrinth - Javier Navarette

The fact that this lost is just unbelievable. Navarette's score is so haunting - the lullaby theme is one of the most brilliant written in years. It's simple, brilliantly orchestrated, and beautiful. Listening to this score later after watching the movie, and you'll recall every feeling that it holds. Great, unique and sincere work that gives me goosebumps!

Should Have Been Nominated...

The Golden Globes totally disagreed with the Oscars this year, nominating "The Da Vinci Code" (Hans Zimmer), "Nomad" (Carlo Siliotto), "The Fountain" (Clint Mansell) and "The Painted Veil" (Alexandre Desplat, who won), the latter two often considered the biggest snubs of the year. They also nominated "Babel", continuing the nonsensical obsession with that movie's score. I'd like to personally mention "Little Miss Sunshine" (DeVotchKa, though it wasn't completely original so it wasn't eligible) and "Volver" (Alberto Iglesias) as being a couple of my personal favorites from that year.

So there you have it, what were your favorites from 2006? Do you agree with my disdain for Babel's nomination? Have I missed any snubs? Sound off with anything below!

Updated Ranking Here.