This week I was going to do the music from Unbreakable but the YouTube video disappeared off, probably due to some rampant copyright use issue and I couldn’t find it again. Anyway, somewhere amongst the suggested videos was this little piece from a film that has been a guilty pleasure of mine since April 1999.
I first watched Meet Joe Black on a Continental flight from Gatwick to Houston. I was on my way to Belize and that’s why I remember it so well. It’ll always be a film that reminds me of my time over there. Meet Joe Black, reading The Stand by Stephen King, drinking incredibly sugary Pepsi out of glass bottles and the intense lemony smell of Mosi-Guard.
After the initial hilarity of seeing a dummy version of Brad Pitt bounced off several cars, it settles into a lovely, haunting film which I can always sit and watch, even if I come in half way through. All three leads are highly sympathetic and I love spending time in their company. Jake Weber on the other hand plays a complete git. I was so glad to catch up with him a few years later playing someone nice (Patricia Arquette’s highly understanding husband on Medium).
The cast also features Jeffrey Tambor, one of the growing list of Hollywood men under scrutiny for their allegedly shameful conduct. I remember not liking his character, Quince, very much. He gives up his friend and, although he clearly loves his wife, he does this weird head-holding thing to try to comfort her that I always found invasive and creepy.
Anyway, Thomas Newman’s score for the film is first rate. I had no idea how many other films he’d worked on but the list is long and impressive. The more I saw as I went through, the more I started to put pieces together and realise that his style stands out. Scent of a Woman, The Shawshank Redemption and Cinderella Man are three that stick out for me but there are many more titles, from Bond films to cartoons.
So, here are a couple of my favourite pieces of music from the film. I hope you enjoy them. A little bit of soothing music for the start of the week.
Thanks for reading (and listening).
If you feel like some more music, then please check out some of my other Monday Music posts. They’re packed with great examples of music from movies, TV and other places.
Cheers,
Richard
The Ardenna Crossing 
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