Patrick Doyle has evidently had a bit of time off with only a very obscure score for 2010 (Main Street), but is back with La Ligne Droite for Régis Wargnier, for whom he composed Indochine, Est-Ouest and Une Femme Francaise. La Ligne Droite is a little smaller in scale than some of Wargnier's other films and that extends to Doyle's intimate score, written for 11 players, a double string quartet, bass, piano and harp. The film is about a young runner released from prison who helps a blind athlete train and the music is delightfully lithe, with moments of introspection as the two bond during their training.
There is a distinct Philip Glass/Michael Nyman vibe running through the score, although it's not strict minimalism but Doyle weaves the fetching melodic content around repeated patterns. I've often felt that action music, or any music depicting motion and momentum can be achieved very - if not more - effectively with a smaller ensemble than a huge orchestra. Sometimes rows of horns, banging percussion and the rest of the 100 odd players pounding away cancels itself out and all you are left with is aural stodge. The clarity in La Ligne Droite is extremely refreshing.
As an aside, Doyle was interviewed (by his daughter) at Glasgow University in early 2011 and a video of it is available here. La Ligne Droite is mentioned and his comments about an 11 member chamber orchestra being recorded to sound big are especially interesting. He makes some fascinating comments about working on the then upcoming Thor, plus experiences of working with Kenneth Branagh on earlier films. As it's a bit less formal than a DVD extras type interview, the anecdotes and asides are especially interesting. In any event, if you only learn one thing from it, it's that Doyle is a delightful and charming chap. Thoroughly recommended for any fan of film music, whether you're particularly a fan of the composer or not. Which you should be, he's terrific and La Ligne Droite is another gem.
Apparently not yet available in Americaland, so run across to somewhere importing or European to acquire in haste.
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