A Single Man (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

iTunes Review

It’s quite refreshing to hear an actual score that fits well with the film’s plot. Abel Korzeniowski provided this soundscape for Tom Ford’s 2009 screen adaptation of the Christopher Isherwood novel A Single Man, but he also peppered it with a few soul and jazz numbers (from Etta James, Booker T. & The MG’s and Jo Stafford) that are indicative of the plot’s 1962 backdrop. “Stillness of the Mind” almost immediately connects with the emotional torment and heartbreak of George (the protagonist) with a lush but melancholic beauty emanating from sweeping string crescendos, while “Drowning,” uses dire and dramatic movements to signify George’s spiraling down into the dark depths of his loss and heartbreak. Shigeru Umebayashi contributes four selections, “A Variation On Scotty Tails Madeline” and “Carlos” being the most urgent sounding. Where Korzeniowski tastefully fills up space with cinematic flourishes, Umebayashi incorporates space in between movements for effectively abysmal atmospheres.