Music Composed by Rachel Portman
Rating: ** 1/2

It’s not uncommon for two studios to release competing versions of the same genre film, but it’s rare when the two films are so specifically identical. Between 2005 and 2006, we not only get two biopics about Truman Capote, we get two biopics about Truman Capote’s relationship with Perry Mason while researching for his book, In Cold Blood. Last year’s Capote was an Oscar and critical darling (and it was arguably last year’s best film). Infamous, had the bad fortune of following in that film’s footsteps with the same story, and unsurprisingly failed to interest either critics or audiences (I’ll state right here that I haven’t actually seen the film myself – but don’t you love it when internet film music critics try to trick you into thinking they’ve seen the films that they’re writing about by going into detail about the film’s critical and financial reception? What a great trick – it gets me every time). But even without seeing Infamous I can say that it has one decided improvement over last year’s otherwise-flawless Capote, and that is in its musical score by Rachel Portman. Much as I often love Michael Danna, his music for Capote consisted of little more than aimless piano meandering that could just as easily have been written by the THOMASNEWMANBOT-2005. Portman’s Infamous is hardly going to go down as one of her most memorable efforts, but she does at least manage to craft something musically interesting from the story without overshadowing the fragile human drama.

Rachel Portman

This is Portman’s second time working for director Douglas McGrath, the first being 2002’s charming Nicolas Nickelby. While many in the film music community were underwhelmed by Portman’s (admittedly extremely derivative and simplistic) score for that film, I thought she captured the essence of Dickens warm themes perfectly with her light touch. McGrath seems to realize that Portman’s music works best, dark or light, when she presents her simple ideas with clarity and intimacy, and he wisely brings out that side of her in his films. This is why a subtle downer of a score like Infamous works so much more effectively than a lumbering would-be epic score for a Dickens masterwork like Polanski’s Oliver Twist – rather than lumbering over the same four chords over and over again without variation, she breaks those four chords apart and explores them from the inside-out.

While you won’t be whistling any of the themes, she does keep the score largely melodic, breaking chords apart into deliberate arpeggios as she gradually draws her subtle melodies from the framework (Portman never makes the mistake of assuming that holding a chord on a synthesized keyboard for three minutes equates restrained sensitivity). Solo oboe dominates the score, which shouldn’t seem that surprising given her extensive writing for the instrument in the past, but it’s rare to see solo writing dominating a dark indie drama. “Perry’s Story” introduces the score’s central theme, as rolling harp gradually sets the stage for a plaintiff oboe melody that merges ominous dread with gentle compassion. “Truman and Perry Kiss” reveals a slightly more painful oboe motif, this one recalling Portman’s desert theme from her children’s opera The Little Prince (although I very much doubt that was an association she intended for this presumably homoerotic scene). The highlight, though, is probably the extended “Truman Decides to Open Up / The Killings” sequence, which brings the most violent aspects of the story to life without abandoning the sensitive and concerned approach that defines the score. With the exception of the irritating country-bumpkin cue in “Porn Magazines,” the score never strays far from this tone. But Portman’s melodic gifts do get one opportunity to come to the forefront in the closing “Friend Truman / End Titles.” Here, she reveals an achingly beautiful theme for solo piano that gradually merges into the main oboe theme, drawing the music full circle.

Ultimately, this is extremely deliberate music, but it’s melodically probing and it flows with a sense of forward motion that’s far too absent in indie dramas. The low rating is not for the score, but for the album arrangement I doubt many people will be clamoring for more music, but when as score is this subtle, 20 minutes scattered throughout country source songs simply does not cut it (though it may be worth it for the chance to hear the current James Bond sing “There’s a Gold Mine in the Sky”). The score itself easily deservers at least another half star, but the presentation seems to go out of its way to keep the listener from realizing that. If you can get over that, however, this may be a worthwhile purchase for fans of Portman’s less sundry music. If nothing else, it’s a standout in its genre.

Music by Rachel Portman, Conducted by Michael Kosarin, Recorded and Mixed by Richard King, Orchestrations by Rachel Portman and Jeff Atmajian, Produced by Rachel Portman, Label: Milan Records (M2-36189), Availability: In-print, U.S. Release Date: October 17, 2006.

01. What Is This Thing Called Love (4:04)
Performed by Gwyneth Paltrow And Mark Rubin Band
02. Heartaches (3:28)
Performed by Mark Rubin Band
03. La Cote Basque (1:18)
04. Broken Hearted Melody (2:27)
Performed by Sarah Vaughan
05. Truman’s Mother (2:14)
06. Safe Place (1:14)
07. Truman Tries Out Lines (0:53)
08. There I Go Dreamin’ Again (2:20)
Performed by Johnny Bond
09. Perry’s Story (4:23)
10. Truman And Perry Kiss (1:36)
11. Clutter Home (2:00)
12. Truman Decides To Open Up / The Killings (5:05)
13. How About You (2:01)
Performed by Johnny Bond
14. Porn Magazines (1:45)
15. Friend Truman / End Titles (5:55)
16. There’s A Goldmine In The Sky (1:54)
Performed by Daniel Craig
17. Yesterday When I Was Young (3:42)
Performed by Dusty Springfield
18. The Twist (2:37)
Performed by Hank Ballard

Total Playing Time: 48:56