Aeon Flux
Music composed by Graeme Revell
Available on Varèse Sarabande (302 066 707 2)
Running Time: 48:48
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As a companion piece to my review of Revell’s other score this month, The Fog, this does nothing to change the views I have already expressed. While this soundtrack is very different in style and tone, sadly it still suffers from many of the same faults. Admittedly, it is superior to Revell’s relentlessly dull music from The Fog, with lots of exotic tinged percussion and layered synth work, but there is still an inherent lack of melodic interest and a sense that it is manufactured rather than created. It’s fair to say that the composer could credibly counter this last assertion and I would accept the point that there is thought and expertise behind the composition. But it does not change the fact that this listener at least was left unmoved and uninvolved. The debate may continue evermore as to whether film music admirers should appreciate a score for its effectiveness in the film it was written for, or simply as a piece of music in its own right (I personally prefer both), but ultimately I can’t imagine myself returning to listen to this music again. Yes, it’s not bad, it occasionally has moments of slender attraction, but they are transitory and the majority of the score passes by without invention or incident.
A bad, sad month for Graeme Revell then. The fact that he came to this project late, after at least two other composers had been previously announced, would appear to tell us that within the industry he has a reputation for professionalism and getting the job done. On the surface, AeonFlux suggests verve and inventiveness, but scratch beneath and it all appears to be quite commonplace.
Mark Hockley
2
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