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Alexandre Desplat: Bio

Composer, orchestrator and conductor, Academy Award winner, Alexandre Desplat, eight-time Academy Award Nominee, with over hundred scores and numerous awards to his credit is one of the most worthy heirs of the French film scoring masters.

A true cinephile, his approach to film composition is not only based on his strong musicality, but also on his understanding of Cinema, which allows him to intimately communicate with directors. Inspired by the works of Maurice Jarre, Bernard Herrmann, Nino Rota or Georges Delerue, he expressed his desire to compose for Cinema early on but really made his decision after listening to John Williams's score to Star Wars.

Raised in a musical and cultural mix with a Greek mother and French father who studied and were married in California, he grew up listening to the French symphonists Ravel and Debussy, to World Music and to Jazz. He studied piano and trumpet before choosing the flute as main instrument and enriched his classical musical education by studying Brazilian and African Music, which later will lead him to record with Carlinhos Brown and Ray Lema. While composing for Cinema and Television he started writing a lot for Theater companies such as La Comédie Française, which allowed him to understand the importance of dramaturgy and how to adapt carefully his music to actors performances.

During the recording of his first feature film, he met a rare violinist, Dominique "Solrey" Lemonnier, starting an exceptional artistic exchange. She became his favorite soloist, concertmaster, artistic director and wife. With her special sense of interpretation and her creative spirit, she has inspired Desplat's compositions, influencing his music at its core. Together they have created a new way of using for the strings in film music.

After scoring 50 European films, with legendary French directors such as Philippe de Broca or Francis Girod, he burst in 2003 onto the Hollywood scene with his evocative score to Peter Webber's GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING which earned him nominations at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and European Film Awards. His singular and remarkable scores for the films of Jacques Audiard showed a new musical voice and his composition for THE BEAT THAT MY HEART SKIPPED in 2005 earned him the Silver Bear at the Berlinale as well as his first César.

Alexandre Desplat then started to expand his U.S. career keeping his European collaborations by composing for Stephen Gaghan's SYRIANA, Jonathan Glazer's BIRTH, Florent Siri's HOSTAGE, and Jacques Audiard's A PROPHET.

In 2007 he received his first Academy Award nomination for Stephen Frears' THE QUEEN which earned him his first European Film Award. The same year he won the Golden Globe, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award and the World Soundtrack Award for his score to John Curran's THE PAINTED VEIL, performed by Lang Lang.

He composed in 2008 for Florent Siri's INTIMATE ENEMY, Ang Lee's LUST, CAUTION, and David Fincher's THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, which earned him a second Oscar nomination and a fourth BAFTA and Golden Globe nomination.

With his score for Roman Polanski's THE GHOST WRITER in 2010, starting an inspiring relationship, he won a second César and a second European Film Award. The same year, he wrote the music for TWILIGHT-NEW MOON by Chris Weitz, a platinum record, Anne Fontaine's COCO BEFORE CHANEL and for Tom Hooper's THE KING'S SPEECH for which he won the BAFTA, the Grammy Award and receives his fourth Academy Award nomination and his fifth Golden Globe nomination.

In 2010-2011 Alexandre Desplat scored David Yates films HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 1 and HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2, which became the third most successful movie of all time. As eclectic as prolific he wrote nine score in 2011 including Terence Malik's TREE OF LIFE, Roman Polanski's CARNAGE, Wes Anderson's FANTASTIC MR FOX, Daniel Auteuil's THE WELL'S DIGGER DAUGHTER and George Clooney's THE IDES OF MARCH.

In 2012, keeping his artistic exchange with European directors, Alexandre Desplatcollaborated with Kathryn Bigelow for ZERO DARK THIRTY, Matteo Garrone for REALITY, Gilles Bourdos for RENOIR, Jérôme Salle for ZULU, Wes Anderson for MOONRISE KINGDOMand Jacques Audiard for RUST AND BONE for which he won a third César. He also scored ARGO by Ben Affleck, which was awarded the Oscar for best film, and earned Alexandre Desplat a sixth nomination at BAFTA, as well as a fifth nomination at the Golden Globes and the Oscars.

He signed in 2013 the scores of THE MONUMENTS MEN by George Clooney, Roman Polanski's VENUS IN FUR, Stephen Frears' PHILOMENA, for which he received his seventh BAFTA and his fifth Oscar nominations.

In 2014 he scored Gareth Edwards's blockbuster GODZILLA, and received a rare double Academy Award nomination for his scores of Morten Tyldum's THE IMITATION GAME and Wes Anderson's THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, which earned him a BAFTA, a Grammy and his first Oscar.

Member of the jury at the Festival de Cannes 2012, he became the first composer President of the Jury at the Mostra di Venezia in 2014. Celebrating their longtime partnership he has conducted the London Symphony Orchestra for a concert of his works at the Barbican Theater in London in December 2014.

IN CONTENTION

2018Academy Award (Oscar), for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2018British Academy Film Award (BAFTA), for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2018Satellite Award (International Press Academy), for THE SHAPE OF WATER

AWARDS

2018Golden Globe (Hollywood Foreign Press Association), for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2018Critics' Choice Award (Broadcast Film Critics Association), for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2018Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Award, for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2018Houston Film Critics Society Award, for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2017Hollywood Music in Media Award (IFJA), 'Best Original Score - Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Film', for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2017Indiana Film Journalists Association Award (IFJA), for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2017Utah Film Critics Association Award (UFCA), for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2017Boston Online Film Critics Association Award, Best Score, for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2017Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award, Best Musical Score, for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2017Soundtrack Stars Critics Award, 'Premio della Critica' (Venice International Film Festival, Italy), Best Soundtrack, for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2016Deutschen Filmpreis (Deutsche Filmakademie), for EVERY THING WILL BE FINE

2016Hollywood Music in Media Award (HMMA), for THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS

2016International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA), 'Film Composer of the Year'

2016Wojciech Kilar Award (Krakow Film Music festival)

2016Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award (Hollywood in Vienna)

2015Academy Award (Oscar), for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015British Academy Film Award (BAFTA), for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015Grammy Award, for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015BMI Icon Award for outstanding career achievement

2015Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award, for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015Gold Medal in the Arts (Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts)

2015GoldSpirit Award (Spain), 'Best Composer of the Year'

2015GoldSpirit Award (Spain), 'Best Score for a Drama Film', for THE IMITATION GAME

2015GoldSpirit Award (Spain), 'Best Score for a Comedy Film', for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015Hollywood Film Composer Award, for THE DANISH GIRL and SUFFRAGETTE

2015Houston Film Critics Society Award, for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015International Online Film Critics' Poll (IOFCP), for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015Italian Online Movie Award (IOMA), for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015Grand Prix du répertoire SACEM à l'export (France)

2015Siren Award (Music + Sound Award), for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2014Etoile d'Or du Cinéma Français, for RENOIR, MARIUS, FANNY, and ZULU

2014Hollywood Film Composer Award (Hollywood Award), for THE IMITATION GAME

2014International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA), 'Film Composer of the Year'

2014International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA), 'Best Original Score For A Comedy Film', for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2014Premio CononneSonore.net (Italy), 'Migliore Compositore Straniero'

2014Soundtrack Stars Critics Award, 'Premio della Critica' (Venice International Film Festival, Italy)

2014World Soundtrack Award, Film Composer of the Year, for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, GODZILLA, MARIUS, THE MONUMENTS MEN, VENUS IN FUR (LA VÉNUS À LA FOURRURE), PHILOMENA, ZULU

2014World Soundtrack Award, 'Best Original Film Score of the Year', for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2013César (France), for RUST AND BONE (DE ROUILLE ET D'OS)

2013BMI Film Music Award, for ARGO, ZERO DARK THIRTY, and RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

2013Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award, for MOONRISE KINGDOM

2012Etoile d'Or du Cinéma Français, for RUST AND BONE (DE ROUILLE ET D'OS)

2012Grammy Award, for THE KING'S SPEECH

2012BMI Film Music Award, for MOONRISE KINGDOM

2012International Film Music Critics Association Award, 'Best Original Score for an Animated Feature Film', for RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

2012International Press Academy Satellite Award, for ARGO

2012Soundtrack Geek Award, for MOONRISE KINGDOM

2012St. Louis Film Critics Association Award, for MOONRISE KINGDOM

2012World Soundtrack Award, Soundtrack Composer of the Year, for A BETTER LIFE, TAMARA DREWE, THE BURMA CONSPIRACY (LARGO WINCH II), THE KING'S SPEECH, THE TREE OF LIFE, THE WELL DIGGER'S DAUGHTER (LA FILLE DU PUISATIER), HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1, and HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

2011International Online Cinema Award(INOCA), for THE GHOST WRITER

2011British Academy Film Award (BAFTA), for THE KING'S SPEECH

2011César (France), for THE GHOST WRITER

2011BMI London Award, for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 and THE KING'S SPEECH

2011Etoile d'Or du Cinéma Français, for THE GHOST WRITER

2011Harry Warren Award (Sonora International Awards, Italie), for THE KING'S SPEECH

2011Houston Film Critics Society Award, for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

2011International Online Cinema Award (INOCA), for THE GHOST WRITER

2011Sammy Award, for THE KING'S SPEECH

2011San Diego Film Critics Award, for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

2011Satellite Award (International Press Academy), for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

2010BMI Film Music Award, for FANTASTIC MR FOX, JULIE & JULIA, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON

2010CinEuphoria Award (Portugal), for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON and INTIMATE ENEMIES (L'ENNEMI INTIME)

2010Etoile D'Or du Cinéma Français, for A PROPHET (UN PROPHÈTE), THE ARMY OF CRIME (L'ARMÉ DU CRIME), AFTERWARDS (ET APRÈS), COCO BEFORE CHANEL (COCO AVANT CHANEL),and CHÉRI

2010European Film Award for THE GHOST WRITER, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1, THE KING'S SPEECH, and TAMARA DREWE

2010International Film Music Critics Association Award, 'Best Original Score For a Drama Film', for THE KING'S SPEECH

2010International Film Music Critics Association Award, 'Best Original Score For an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film', for THE GHOST WRITER

2010International Film Music Critics Association Award, 'Film Composer of the Year', for THE GHOST WRITER, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1, THE KING'S SPEECH, THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP, and TAMARA DREWE

2010Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, for THE GHOST WRITER

2010Movie Music UK Award, Composer of the Year

2010World Soundtrack Award, 'Soundtrack Composer of the Year', for FANTASTIC MR FOX, THE TWILIGHT SAGA-NEW MOON, JULIE AND JULIA, and THE GHOST WRITER

2010World Soundtrack Award, 'Best Original Soundtrack of the Year', for FANTASTIC MR FOX

2009BMI Film Music Award for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2009Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2009Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing (Palm Springs International Film Festival)

2009Golden Alexander (Greece), 'for his career in film music'

2009Hollywood Film Festival Award

2009International Online Cinema Award (INOCA), for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2009Movie Music UK Award, 'Composer of the Year'

2009Sammy Award, for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2009World Soundtrack Academy Award, 'Soundtrack Composer of the Year', for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, COCO AVANT CHANEL, LARGO WINCH, and CHÉRI

2009World Soundtrack Academy Award, 'Best Film Score of the Year', for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2008International Film Music Critics Association Award (IFMCA), 'Film Score of the Year' and 'Best Original Score for a Drama Film', for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2008Movie Music UK Award, 'Best Score - Drama', for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2008Phoenix Film Critics Society Award, for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2008Grand Prix de la musique pour l'audiovisuel, SACEM (France)

2007Golden Globe, for THE PAINTED VEIL

2007BMI London Film Music Award for THE QUEEN and THE PAINTED VEIL

2007European Film Award, for THE QUEEN

2007Golden Horse Award (Taiwan), for LUST, CAUTION (SE, JIE)

2007International Cinephile Society Award, for THE QUEEN, and THE PAINTED VEIL

2007International Film Music Critics Association Award (IFMCA), 'Best Original Score for Fantasy-Science Fiction', for THE GOLDEN COMPASS

2007International Film Music Critics Association Award (IFMCA), 'Film Composer of the Year'

2007International Online Cinema Award(INOCA), for THE PAINTED VEIL

2007Movie Music UK Award, 'Film Composer of the Year'

2007Movie Music UK Award, Score of the Year and 'Best Original Score Fantasy/Science Fiction', for THE GOLDEN COMPASS

2007World Soundtrack Award, 'Soundtrack Composer of the Year', for THE QUEEN, and THE PAINTED VEIL

2006César Award (France), for THE BEAT MY HEART SKIPPED (DE BATTRE MON COEUR S'EST ARRÊTÉ)

2006Etoile D'Or du Cinéma Français, for THE BEAT MY HEART SKIPPED (DE BATTRE MON COEUR S'EST ARRÊTÉ)

2006International Film Music Critics Association Award, 'Film Composer of the Year'

2006Jeune talent (Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques - France)

2006Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, for THE QUEEN and THE PAINTED VEIL

2005Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear, for THE BEAT MY HEART SKIPPED (DE BATTRE MON COEUR S'EST ARRÊTÉ)

2005International Cinephile Society Award, for BIRTH

NOMINATIONS

2017Annie Award (International Animated Film Society), 'Outstanding Achievement in Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production', for THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS

2017Annie Award (International Animated Film Society), 'Outstanding Achievement in Music in an Animated Feature Production', for TROLLHUNTERS, episode "Becoming" Part 1

2017Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award (LAFCA), for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2017San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award (SFFCC), for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2017Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), for THE SHAPE OF WATER

2015Golden Globe, for THE DANISH GIRL

2016Grammy Award, for THE IMITATION GAME

2016David di Donatello (Accademia del Cinema Italiano), for TALE OF TALES (Il racconto dei racconti)

2016International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA), 'Film Composer of the Year'

2016International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA), 'Best Original Score for a Drama Film', for THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS

2016International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA), 'Best Original Score for an Animated Feature Film', for THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS

2016International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA), 'Best Archival Release of an Existing Score - Compilation', for the album THE CINEMA OF QUINCY JONES, shared with: Quincy Jones, Stéphane Lerouge, and Toots Thielemans

2016Satellite Award, for THE DANISH GIRL

2015Academy Award (Oscar), for THE IMITATION GAME

2015Golden Globe, for THE IMITATION GAME

2015Chlotrudis Award (Chlotrudis Society For Independent Film), for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015Cinema Bloggers Award (Portugal), for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015Critics' Choice Award (Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards), for THE IMITATION GAME

2015Críticos de Cinema Online Portugueses Award (CCOP), for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015Denver Film Critics Society Award, for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015Eda Award (Alliance of Women Film Journalists), for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015Gold Derby Award, for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015The Houston Film Critics Society Award, for THE IMITATION GAME

2015International Cinephile Society Award (ICSA), for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015International Online Cinema Award (INOCA), for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015International Online Film Critics' Poll (IOFCP), for THE IMITATION GAME

2015Iowa Film Critics Award, for THE IMITATION GAME

2015Saturn Award (Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films), for GODZILLA

2015Seattle Film Critics Award, for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2015World Soundtrack Award, 'Film Composer of the Year', for UNBROKEN, THE IMITATION GAME, EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE, TALE OF TALES (Il racconto dei racconti)

2015World Soundtrack Award, 'Best Original Film Score of the Year', for THE IMITATION GAME

2015The SIREN Award (Music + Sound Award), 'Best Composition in a Feature Film', for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2014Academy Award (Oscar), for PHILOMENA

2014Grammy Award (Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media), for ARGO and ZERO DARK THIRTY

2014César (France), for VENUS IN FUR (La Vénus à la fourrure)

2014Awards Circuit Community Award (ACCA), for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2014Chicago Film Critics Association Award , for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL and THE IMITATION GAME

2014Hollywood Music In Media Award (Hollywood Music In Media Association), for THE IMITATION GAME

2014Indiana Film Journalists Association Award, for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2014Indiwire Critics' Poll (ICP), for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2014International Film Music Critics Award, 'Film Score of the Year', for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2014International Film Music Critics Award, 'Best Original Score For A Drama Film', for THE IMITATION GAME and THE MONUMENTS MEN

2014International Film Music Critics Award, 'Best Original Score For A Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film', for GODZILLA

2014Online Film & Television Association Award, for PHILOMENA

2014Orły (Polish Film Award), for VENUS IN FUR (La Vénus à la fourrure)

2014Phoenix Film Critics Society Award, for THE IMITATION GAME

2014Premio ColonneSonore.net (Italy), for GODZILLA, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL and THE MONUMENTS MEN

2014San Diego Film Critics Society Award, for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL and THE IMITATION GAME

2014Satellite Award (International Press Academy), for THE IMITATION GAME

2014St. Louis Film Critics Association Award, for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

2013Oscar (Academy Award), for ARGO

2013Golden Globe, for ARGO

2013British Academy Film Award (BAFTA), for ARGO

2013Annie Award (International Animated Film Society), for RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

2013Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award, for ARGO

2013Critics' Choice Movie Award (Broadcast Film Critics Association, for ARGO and MOONRISE KINGDOM

2013David di Donatello (Accademia del Cinema Italiano), for REALITY

2013Denver Film Critics Society Award, for ARGO

2013Eda Award (Alliance of Women Film Journalists) for ARGO and ZERO DARK THIRTY

2013Georgia Film Critics Association Award, for ARGO

2013Gold Derby Award, for ARGO

2013International Cinephile Society Award (Accademia del Cinema Italiano), for MOONRISE KINGDOM

2013International Film Music Critics Association Award, 'Best Original Score for a Comedy Film', for VENUS IN FUR (La Vénus à la fourrure)

2013Italian Online Movie Award (IOMA), for ARGO and MOONRISE KINGDOM

2013London Critics' Circle Film Award, for RUST AND BONE (DE ROUILLE ET D'OS)

2013Online Film & Television Association Award, for ARGO, MOONRISE KINGDOM, and ZERO DARK THIRTY

2013Orły (Polish Film Award), for CARNAGE

2013Satellite Award (International Press Academy), for PHILOMENA

2013World Soundtrack Award, 'Film Composer of the Year', for ARGO, REALITY, RENOIR, RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, ZERO DARK THIRTY

2012Grammy Award, for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOW: PART 2

2012Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for THE TREE OF LIFE

2012Chicago Film critics Award for ARGO, ZERO DARK THIRTY, and MOONRISE KINGDOM

2012Denver Film Critics Society Award, for ARGO

2012Gold Derby Award, for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

2012Indiwire Critics' Poll (ICP), for MONRISE KINGDOM and ZERO DARK THIRTY

2012International Film Music Critics Association Award, 'Film Composer of the Year', for ARGO, MOONRISE KINGDOM, RUST AND BONE (DE ROUILLE ET D'OS), RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, and ZERO DARK THIRTY

2012International Film Music Critics Asociation Award, 'Best Original Score for a Comedy Film', for MOONRISE KINGDOM

2012International Film Music Critics Association Award, 'Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film', for ZERO DARK THIRTY

2012International Online Film Critics' Poll (IOFCP), for THE KING'S SPEECH

2012Italian Online Movie Award (IOMA), for THE TREE OF LIFE

2012Prix France Musique-Sacem de la musique de film for THE TREE OF LIFE

2012San Diego Film Critics Society Award for ARGO and MOONRISE KINGDOM

2012Satellite Award (International Press Academy), for ARGO

2012Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award for MOONRISE KINGDOM

2012World Soundtrack Award, 'Soundtrack Composer of the Year'

2012World Soundtrack Award, 'Best Original Film Score of the Year', for THE IDES OF MARCH

2011Academy Award (Oscar), for THE KING'S SPEECH

2011Golden Globe, for THE KING'S SPEECH

2011ACCA (Awards Circuit Community Award), for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

2011Critics' Choice Award (BFCA), for THE KING'S SPEECH

2011European Film Award, for THE KING'S SPEECH

2011Gold Derby Award, for THE GHOST WRITER and THE KING'S SPEECH

2011Hollywood Music In Media Award (HMMA), for THE IDES OF MARCH

2011The Houston Film Critics Society Award, for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

2011International Cinephile Society Award, for THE GHOST WRITER

2011International Film Music Critics Association Award, Film Composer of the Year, for A BETTER LIFE, CARNAGE, EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2, THE IDES OF MARCH, and THE TREE OF LIFE

2011International Film Music Critics Asociation Award, Best Original Score For A Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film, for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOW: PART 2

2011Italian Online Movie Award (IOMA), for THE KING'S SPEECH

2011Online Film & Television Association Award, for THE GHOST WRITER

2011Phoenix Film Critics Society Award, for EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE

2011Prix France Musique-Sacem de la musique de film, for THE GHOST WRITER

2011San Diego Film Critics Award, for EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE and THE TREE OF LIFE

2011Satellite Award (International Press Academy), for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

2011St. Louis Film Critics Association Award, for THE TREE OF LIFE

2011World Soundtrack Award, Best Original Soundtrack of the Year, for THE KING'S SPEECH

2010Academy Award (Oscar), for FANTASTIC MR FOX

2010British Academy Award (BAFTA), for FANTASTIC MR FOX

2010César (France), for A PROPHET (UN PROPHÈTE)

2010Grammy Award (France), for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2010Awards Circuit Community Award (ACCA), for THE KING'S SPEECH

2010Gold Derby Award, for FANTASTIC MR. FOX

2010International Cinephile Society Award, for FANTASTIC MR FOX

2010International Film Music Critics Association Award, Film Score of the Year,for THE GHOST WRITER and THE KING'S SPEECH

2010International Film Music Critics Association Award, Best Original Score For a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film,for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1

2010International Film Music Critics Association Award, Film Music Composition of the Year, for "The Truth About Ruth" from THE GHOST WRITER

2010Online Film Critics Society Award, for FANTASTIC MR FOX

2010Phoenix Film Critics Society Award, for THE GHOST WRITER

2010Prix France Musique-Sacem de la musique de film, for THE ARMY OF CRIME(L'armée du crime)

2010Satellite Award, for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1

2009Academy Award (Oscar), for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2009Golden Globe, for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2009British Academy Award (BAFTA), for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2009Grammy Award, for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2009Chicago Film Critics Association Award, for FANTASTIC MR FOX

2009Critics' Choice Award (Broadcast Film Critics Association), for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2009European Film Award, for COCO BEFORE CHANEL

2009Gold Derby Award, for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2009Houston Film Critics Society Award, for FANTASTIC MR FOX

2009International Cinephile Society Award, for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2009International Film Music Critics Asociation Award, 'Film Score of the Year', for THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON

2009International Film Music Critics Asociation Award, 'Film Composer of the Year'

2009International Film Music Critics Asociation Award, 'Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction Film', for THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON

2009International Film Music Critics Asociation Award, 'Best Original Score For An Animated Feature', for FANTASTIC MR FOX

2009International Film Music Critics Asociation Award, 'Best Original Score for a Comedy Film', for JULIE & JULIA

2009Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, for FANTASTIC MR FOX

2009Online Film Critics Society Award, for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2009Online Film

1 The Shape Of Water  
2 You'll Never Know - Renee Fleming  
3 The Creature  
4 Elisa's Theme  
5 Fingers  
6 Spy Meeting  
7 Elisa And Zelda  
8 Five Stars General  
9 The Silence Of Love  
10 Egg  
11 That Isn't Good  
12 Underwater Kiss  
13 The Escape  
14 Watching Ruth  
15 Decency  
16 He's Coming For You  
17 Overflow Of Love  
18 Without You  
19 Rainy Day  
20 A Princess Without A Voice  
21 La Javanaise - Madeleine Peyroux  
22 I Know Why (And So Do You) - Glenn Miller & His Orchestra  
23 Chica Chica Boom Chic - Carmen Miranda  
24 Babalu - Caterina Valente  
25 A Summer Place - Andy Williams  
26 You'll Never Know - Renee Fleming (Alternative Version)  

Press Release
THE SHAPE OF WATER | Official Trailer | FOX Searchlight

Just hours after winning a prestigious Golden Globe for Best Original Score, composer Alexandre Desplat has been nominated for a British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) for his spine-tingling score to The Shape of Water. The soundtrack was released on Decca Records on December 15. Alexandre Desplat picked up the award for Best Original Score at the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles, while Guillermo del Toro was named Best Director for The Shape of Water. Speaking of his win, Desplat said, "At the end of the day, this movie is about love. Love, sharing, humanism and respect. The music just had to convey that."

Stories

  • Alexandre Desplat - Little Women makes theartsdesk: weekly soundtracks special
    Posted At : April 18, 2020 12:00 AM

    theartsdesk picks Six film scores, spanning more than a century of cinema, for their weekly soundtracks special including; Alexandre Desplat - Little Women Director Greta Gerwig reminds us in her sleeve note that, back in the day, buying a soundtrack recording was one of the only ways to relive a favourite film at home. Her smart, crowd-pleasing Little Women was conceived as "a musical without any singing," and Alexandre Desplat's music features two pianists alongside a chamber orchestra, the pianists' four hands matching the source novel's quartet of young protagonists. Gerwig wanted Desplat to provide something "beautiful without being cloying, epic without crushing the actors" and he's largely succeeded. This is a sweet, understated score, the shifts between buttoned-up formality and romantic outpouring cleverly managed. I wish that Desplat had given his two pianists a more prominent role, but presumably their studied politeness is the point. There's a lovely moment near the end, the warmth of "Jo Writes" reminding me of a similar moment in Christopher Willis's David Copperfield score (see below). READ THE FULL artsdesk PAGE
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  • 'Little Women' will destroy you then put you back together / LIFESTYLE.INQ
    Posted At : February 16, 2020 12:00 AM

    Louisa May Alcott's classic tale "Little Women" is back on the big screen, in at least its fifth cinematic adaptation, this time in the confident hands of writer/director Greta Gerwig. She has assembled a magnificent cast, using a great script (that she wrote), and crafted a warm, superb movie that is absolutely one of 2019's best. For those unfamiliar, "Little Women" is about the March sisters: their lives and adventures in Massachusetts around the time of the Civil War, in which their father has volunteered to fight for the Union. As women in a less enlightened era, they are at a disadvantage when it comes to certain privileges enjoyed by men, but that doesn't stop them from carving their own paths. Alexandre Desplat's music is playful and sad and always pairs well with its scenes. Jacqueline Durran's costume design shows why she won the Oscar for that category. Yorick Le Saux's cinematography is sumptuous, and he and Gerwig employ warm and cool color palettes to differentiate the dual timelines, though they begin to merge as the past catches up to the present. READ THE FULL LIFESTYLE.INQ ARTICLE
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  • The Guardian thinks Alexandre Desplat will win the 2020 Bafta Award for 'Little Women'
    Posted At : February 1, 2020 12:00 AM

    The run-up to this year's Baftas have proved unusually controversial, but what will actually happen on the night? 'The Guardian' thinks Alexandre Desplat will win 'Best music' for 'Little Women.' Sony Music's release of LITTLE WOMEN (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) with music by Academy Award®, Golden Globe® and GRAMMY® Award-winning composer ALEXANDRE DESPLAT was recorded in New York City under the leadership of Desplat, who conducted a chamber orchestra to perform his original compositions, the score serves as a sonic companion to the film's coming-of-age narrative. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the Sony Pictures film captures the life of four young girls on their path to adulthood. "Working with him has been a dream," adds Greta Gerwig of working with Desplat on the score.  "From the first sketches he sent me to listening to him record the glorious score with an orchestra in New York, every step of the process has been a joy. He has taught me how to work with a composer: how to listen, how to give notes, how to wait for it to develop, how to step away, how to dive in. I am a better filmmaker for having worked with him, and I sincerely hope that it is not the last time." Here's what The Guardian thinks overall about the Bafta 2020 Awards
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  • In an era of superheroes, galaxies, and futuristic sci-fi films, 'Little Women's' classic story reminds us of the power of good classic literature and simple characters / Santa Fe New Mexican
    Posted At : January 11, 2020 12:00 AM

    The 2019 version of Little Women is the eighth film adaptation of the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott. I really enjoyed this coming-of-age film, mostly because of the genuine performances but also because these young women are so powerful, sensitive, smart and gentle. In an era of superheroes, galaxies and futuristic sci-fi films with special effects, this classic story reminds us of the power of good classic literature and simple characters. I read the original book a long time ago, so when I found out the movie was coming out, I was very excited. This adaptation is well done and touching. READ THE FULL Santa Fe New Mexican ARTICLE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}
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  • 'Little Women' podcast with Alexandre Desplat
    Posted At : January 2, 2020 12:00 AM

    CLICK HERE AND  LISTEN to the 'Little Women' podcast featurIng Academy Award®, Golden Globe® and GRAMMY® Award-winning composer; Alexandre Desplat. Sony Music's release of LITTLE WOMEN (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) was recorded in New York City under the leadership of Desplat, who conducted a chamber orchestra to perform his original compositions. The score serves as a sonic companion to the film's coming-of-age narrative, directed by Greta Gerwig, and which opened in theatres on Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25.    Of the soundtrack, composer Alexandre Desplat says, "To capture the life of these four young girls on their path to adulthood, I have called in the four hands of two pianists. They are surrounded by a chamber orchestra, which keeps us in the intimate world of these ‘little women.'  We recorded the score in New York City with the most wonderful musicians whose musicality and virtuosity went beyond my expectations." "Working with him has been a dream," adds Greta Gerwig of working with Desplat on the score.  "From the first sketches he sent me to listening to him record the glorious score with an orchestra in New York, every step of the process has been a joy. He has taught me how to work with a composer: how to listen, how to give notes, how to wait for it to develop, how to step away, how to dive in. I am a better filmmaker for having worked with him, and I sincerely hope that it is not the last time." "For Little Women, Greta envisioned a musical without lyrics. From the beginning, Alexandre had to be the musical voice of the film," says Spring Aspers, President of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, Music. "The resulting score is both dynamic and intimate making it the perfect complement to this exquisite retelling. I can't wait for audiences to come together to experience this film." Writer-director Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) has crafted a Little Women that draws on both the classic novel and the writings of Louisa May Alcott, and unfolds as the author's alter ego, Jo March, reflects back and forth on her fictional life.  In Gerwig's take, the beloved story of the March sisters – four young women each determined to live life on her own terms --  is both timeless and timely.  Portraying Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth March, the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen, with Timothée Chalamet as their neighbor Laurie, Laura Dern as Marmee, and Meryl Streep as Aunt March. Produced & Narrated by Max Horowitz - Crossover Media This content, as well as the related podcast, are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) for redistribution and adaptation.
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  • Alexandre Desplat's 'Little Women' soundtrack makes The Film Stage 'Best Scores & Soundtracks of 2019'
    Posted At : December 30, 2019 12:00 AM

    As Martin Scorsese once said, "Music and cinema fit together naturally. Because there's a kind of intrinsic musicality to the way moving images work when they're put together. It's been said that cinema and music are very close as art forms, and I think that's true." Indeed, the right piece of music–whether it's an original score or a carefully selected song–can do wonders for a sequence, and today we're looking at the 20 films that best expressed this notion this year. From seasoned composers to accomplished musicians, as well as a smattering of soundtracks, each musical example perfectly transported us to the world of the film. Alexandre Desplat's 'Little Women' makes The Film Stage 'Best Scores & Soundtracks of 2019.' Sony Music's release of LITTLE WOMEN (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) with music by Academy Award®, Golden Globe® and GRAMMY® Award-winning composer ALEXANDRE DESPLAT was recorded in New York City under the leadership of Desplat, who conducted a chamber orchestra to perform his original compositions. The score serves as a sonic companion to the film's coming-of-age narrative directed by Greta Gerwig. Sony Pictures' Little Women made it's highly-anticipated theatrical debut on Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, 2019 Check out The Film Stage rundown of the top 20, which includes streams to each soundtrack in full where available.
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  • Alexandre Desplat brings Bowie-Mozart mix to 'Little Women' score / DEADLINE Q&A
    Posted At : December 23, 2019 12:00 AM

    On Greta Gerwig's Little Women, composer Alexandre Desplat was asked to bring a sense of vital modernity to a classic tale. When the two-time Oscar winner spoke with Gerwig about the film early on, he was met with a memorably bold and specific brief. "She said, ‘I'd like the score to be a mix of Mozart and David Bowie,'" Desplat recalls. "We're in the past, but without being heavy and dated, and bring to this past an energy of today." The eighth film adaptation of an 1868 novel by Louisa May Alcott, Little Women centers on the March sisters, four creative and vibrant women coming of age in America, in the aftermath of the Civil War. To Desplat, there was something beautiful about a story, in which each teenager on screen fiercely pursues their dream of being an artist, whether it's as a writer, a composer or a pianist. "These teenagers, they don't dream of being anything else than an artist. [That] means being in the world of dreams, and also being in the world of childhood, because you continue dreaming of what was the fantasy of your childhood," the composer says. "So, there's not one moment, I think, where the music is not charged with these emotions." Desplat offers further insights into the crafting of his Little Women score. Additionally, the composer shares where he's at with two highly anticipated upcoming projects: Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch and Guillermo del Toro's stop-motion take on Pinocchio.   READ THE Q&A          PHOTO: Michael Buckner/Shutterstock
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  • Alexandre Desplat 'Little Women' makes QUARTZ 'best 2019 film and TV scores for every mood'
    Posted At : December 18, 2019 12:00 AM

    2019 was another banner year for original film and television scores. If you're in need of some new music as the calendar shifts to 2020, start here. Because film scores are often steeped in big emotions (and rarely have lyrics that require your attention), they make for great music for working, working out, or studying. They're also versatile enough to listen to while you're commuting to or from the office, or just relaxing at home with a cup of tea. The best scores transcend the films of which they're a part to become indispensable in their own right. If the previous scores were a little heavy for your taste, then let Alexandre Desplat's work on Little Women serve as a lighter rejoinder, though no less impactful. His restrained, balletic, whimsical score for Greta Gerwig's adaptation of the famous novel helps the movie differentiate itself from the countless previous adaptations. SEE QUARTZ PAGE
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  • Film composers turn from the expected this season to find a unique sonic wavelength / Los Angeles Times
    Posted At : December 4, 2019 12:00 AM

    Conservative, conventional choices are nowhere to be found in the noteworthy scores of 2019. If anything binds the collection that follows, it's directors who were willing to take a wild chance or a road less traveled and composers who were up for the adventure. Certainly, a "Twilight Zone"-esque story about evil doppelgängers and a brash New York movie about a Jewish jeweler addicted to gambling don't fall into any neat musical categories. But even the staid genre of "period dramas" got a shakeup this year, with composers defiantly going against type. There have been multiple film adaptations of Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women," and the tendency for composers is to play up the romance, the nostalgia and the yuletide atmosphere of 19th century New England. Some of those flavors are found in the score for Greta Gerwig's new take on the story, which stars Saoirse Ronan as Jo March, but from the first frame something is clear: This is not a pastoral score, but an almost frenzied one. Alexandre Desplat, the Oscar-winning composer of "The Grand Budapest Hotel," was simply responding to Gerwig's wild, nonlinear structure. "The movie is so intelligently, ingeniously built - like a puzzle," he said. "It's always surprising. You're in childhood, adolescence - it's the present, the past. If I would start doing long, calm notes, it would kill it. I realized that the music is the score of a ballet. The score is just dancing with them all the time." Desplat's music bounces with rapid string runs and breathless energy, and he often uses the orchestra like a percussion instrument: pizzicato violins, staccato woodwinds and plucked harp. "It's not a quiet river," he said. "It's the river of youth, where everything is bubbling, where everything is excitement." Most notable are the score's two pianos and the sound of four hands sprinting and leaping along the keys. He got that idea from the French title of the book: "Les Quatre Filles du Docteur March," or "The Four Daughters of Dr. March." "So it's four girls, four daughters," he said. "I thought that this number four I could maybe use somehow." There are many quiet, lovely moments in the score - for when Jo and Beth sit together on the beach or when Dr. March returns home. The film brims with earned emotion. But at its center is a unique love story: the love between a young woman and the act of writing. Desplat's score fires like the neurons in Jo's brain as she jumps around in time, piecing together the chapters of her life. "It's the same when I write the score," Desplat said. "I usually start at the beginning, but then sometimes I jump to reel five or to reel four or to reel three, for a scene that I think is pivotal for me, and I'm able to feed the beginning of the film from that scene if I work on it." SEE THE FULL Los Angeles Times PAGE
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  • Alexandre Desplat says 'Little Women' score is "the extravagance of Bowie, the bigger-than-life attitude of Mozart" / yahoo entertainment
    Posted At : December 4, 2019 12:00 AM

    Director Greta Gerwig stunned composer Alexandre Desplat with her initial request about what she was looking for in music for her new version of "Little Women": "Mozart meets David Bowie." The two-time Oscar winner ("Grand Budapest Hotel," "The Shape of Water") laughs about it now. "When I saw the film I understood what she meant," he says. "There is something pop in the way she has directed the actors. The art direction has a modernity to it; also the hair, the costumes. It doesn't play perfectly period, classical or tedious or restrained references to the past. "The movie is not polite," he adds. "It's the extravagance of Bowie, the bigger-than-life attitude of Mozart." Desplat did turn to Mozart as a model for his orchestra, however: 40 strings, flute, clarinet and harp, plus not one but two pianos. Noting that there were four March girls – Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) – "I thought, why not four hands on two pianos?" But individual themes for the four key players was too much, the composer decided. "The genius of the film is not only telling that story of the 19th century, bringing it into the 21st century, but also the way Greta created a puzzle. When you think about your childhood, it's not chronological. You remember moments; she rendered that so beautifully. "For me, that was the challenge: to link these moments into one. So by keeping the same instrumentation, it becomes a delicate mix of deep emotion, melancholy and joyful, with youthful energy, at the same time keeping us close to the characters." The key to the score, Desplat reveals, was the opening scene, as Jo runs to her editor's office in New York City: "How I should write for the strings, what kind of rhythms, the unpredictable change of chords. From that piece came everything." He recorded his 90-minute score in New York too. SEE THE FULL yahoo entertainment PAGE
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  • Nominees for the 2018 World Soundtrack Awards are out / Variety
    Posted At : August 13, 2018 12:00 AM

    The World Soundtrack Academy has released early nominees for the 2018 World Soundtrack Awards, celebrating 2017-18 films and series for their musical soundtracks and scores. Contenders include award veterans John Williams, Alexandre Desplat, Jonny Greenwood, and Carter Burwell in the film composer of the year category, recognizing a large body of film scores from Williams' "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" to Desplat's "The Shape of Water," which also took home the 2018 original score Oscar. Also included in this year's nominees is the late Johann Johannsson for his work on "Last and First Men," "Mary Magdalene," "The Butcher, the Whore and the One-Eyed Man," and "The Mercy." Johannsson's film composer of the year nomination comes after he died in February at age 48. "There's one name who deserves a special mention: the Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson who left us too early this year and who's nominated for no less than five films," said Film Fest Gent's artistic director Patrick Duynslaegher. "His nominations are also a tribute to his talent and his unique voice in film music." The 18th World Soundtrack Awards will be held on Oct. 17 at the Capitole Ghent.  See the full list of nominees so far below via Variety
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  • Amid great change in animated filmmaking, music remains the constant / Animation Magazine
    Posted At : June 24, 2018 12:00 AM

    Probably no area of filmmaking has changed so much over time as animation, the art form having virtually reinvented itself many times over. Yet one aspect of it remains fixed: the importance of music. Once the province of specialized composers, such as Disney's Oliver Wallace, Warner Bros.' Carl Stalling and MGM's Scott Bradley, in recent years the animation industry has opened up to include A-list film scorers. As a result, today we are seeing - rather, hearing - something of a golden age of animation music. Songs, of course, are a traditional element of animated filmmaking, though composers are often quick to note the difference between a film's score - the instrumental music - and its soundtrack, which also includes any songs or samples featured in the picture. Two-time Oscar-winning composer (most recently for last year's The Shape of Water) Alexandre Desplat, who composed the score for Fox Searchlight Pictures' Isle of Dogs, cuts an even finer point in distinguishing the use of passages from other works. While the soundtrack for Isle of Dogs contains leitmotifs from classical maestro Sergei Prokofiev and Japanese film composer Fumio Hayasaki, Desplat insists that they are not part of his score. "I read some strange things," he says. "I read that I used some [music from the films of Akira] Kurosawa and some Prokofiev. When people hear these in a film, they think that I might have ripped off these composers … no. It's nothing to do with me. It's real, existing, licensed music from some Kurosawa films and from Prokofiev." Working once again with director Wes Anderson, for whom Desplat has scored both the live-action film The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and the animated Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), the composer put together a score that featured both traditional Japanese instruments and choral voices. "Wes said he had this fantasy of doing a Japanese story where we would try and create a magic imagery of Japan, sound-wise," he says. "We used Japanese taiko drums as the basis of the instrumentation, but on top of that, everything is non-Japanese: saxophones, recorders and men's voices. We made a very strange combination of instrumentation." In addition to the Japanese instrumentation, the orchestra for Isle of Dogs is larger than the one Desplat assembled for his first collaboration with Anderson. "If we go back to Fantastic Mr. Fox, there was a sparseness to the story, to the characters, and to the visuals, and the music had to match that," he notes. "We reduced the orchestra to a minimum. There was only one single instrument in each section. Isle of Dogs, though, is colored by the achievement Wes had in Grand Budapest Hotel, where he showed his obsession about frame, about details of the set design, and the position of his characters within the frame. The quality of the animation [in Dogs], the fluidity of every camera move, the precision and detail is so incredibly complex and rich. So, I had to write grander in a way, and not be as restrained as we decided to do on Mr. Fox." Except for scenes such as those in which the taiko drummers are actually seen on screen, which were animated to a pre-recorded track, the music was created after the film was mostly completed. Seeing the entire picture is important to Desplat. "I did see scenes throughout the film," he states, "but it's difficult to start working on a scene unless you know what's coming before and after. I need to have a sense of the flow of the film, so I prefer watching the entire film." READ THE FULL Animation Magazine ARTICLE & WATCH Isle of Dogs VIDEO ***This article originally appeared in the June/July issue of Animation Magazine (No. 281)***
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  • The 90th Academy Awards went to some of the favorites and some of the surprises / bgfalconmedia.com
    Posted At : March 13, 2018 12:00 AM

    The 90th Academy Awards took place March 4, and Oscars were given out to some of the favorites - but there were also some surprises. Jimmy Kimmel returned as the host, after hosting last year as well, and I thought he did a good job. He made some well-thought out remarks, and also mentioned the MeToo movement and Time's Up, which was great.  The awards show was good too. "The Shape of Water" and "Dunkirk" ( Hans Zimmer score ) getting the most awards, four and three respectively. "The Shape of Water" won Best Picture and the movie's director, Guillermo Del Toro, won Best Director. The movie also won Best Original Score, by Alexandre Desplat, and Best Production Design. The award for Best Actor went to Gary Oldman for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in "Darkest Hour". Oldman won the award over Denzel Washington from "Roman J. Israel, Esq.," Daniel Day-Lewis from "Phantom Thread," Daniel Kaluuya from "Get Out" and Timothee Chalamet from "Call Me by Your Name." Best adapted screenplay went to James Ivory for "Call Me by Your Name." READ THE FULL bgfalconmedia.com ARTICLE
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  • Film scores have a life beyond the big screen / Variety
    Posted At : February 8, 2018 12:00 AM

    Classical radio station KUSC has programmed Film-Music Week starting Feb. 12, with a movie theme playing every hour during the workday, as part of the station's pre-Oscar buildup. It's a reminder that a film score has life beyond the big screen. This year's five Oscar nominees will all be heard on KUSC film week, aka KUSC at the Movies: Carter Burwell, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri"; Alexandre Desplat, "The Shape of Water"; Jonny Greenwood, "Phantom Thread"; John Williams, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"; and Hans Zimmer, "Dunkirk." Many of them have already been part of the regular KUSC rotation, along with such classic and current composers as Miklos Rozsa, Bernard Herrmann, Howard Shore and Rachel Portman. KUSC program host Brian Lauritzen says: "The traditional classical audience used to turn up their noses at film scores, but that's changed over the years. Movie music has so much power - and it's power that we often don't realize when we're watching the film." Since KUSC is a public radio station with audience support, "Listeners feel a great sense of ownership," says Lauritzen. "As a result, we hear a lot from them, via email, phones and social media." One of the topics that creates the most feedback is film scores. "The listeners are kind of surprised to hear it and, for the most part, are super-stoked about it."  PHOTO Shane Mahood READ THE FULL Variety ARTICLE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px}
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  • The Shape of Water is enchanting / FAYETTEVILLE*FLYER
    Posted At : January 27, 2018 12:00 AM

    Earlier this week, "The Shape of Water" garnered 13 Academy Award nominations including one in each of the six major categories, and after soaking in director Guillermo del Toro's lush and lovely film, I can understand why. The film is simply enchanting. The plot is evident to anyone who has seen the film's trailer or commercial for the film. A cleaning lady at a secret government facility falls in love with an incarcerated Amazonian river "god" that possesses incredible healing powers coveted by the most powerful nations in the world. A fairly conventional sci-fi plot, for sure, but like any story, the plot isn't as important as how the story is told, and del Toro tells this story beautifully, thanks to his careful direction, a wonderful cast, sumptuous cinematography by Dan Laustsen, and a wonderful score by Alexandre Desplat that wraps you up like a warm blanket. SEE THE FAYETTEVILLE*FLYER PAGE   p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px}
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  • Will Alexandre Desplat's 'The Shape of Water' golden globe, lead to an Oscar? / GOLDDERBY
    Posted At : January 23, 2018 12:00 AM

    While the Golden Globes has an uneven record in previewing the Oscar winners in the top categories, it does give us great insight into one of the below-the-line races: Best Original Score. In the past decade, the two groups have differed only twice. In 2014, when the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. members opted for Alex Ebert's score for "All is Lost," while the academy awarded Steven Price for "Gravity," which won a leading seven Oscars. The following year, the Globes honored Johann Johannsson ("The Theory of Everything") while the Oscars went with Alexandre Desplat ("The Grand Budapest Hotel"). p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} This year, Desplat is hoping that the rule holds as he won the Globe for "The Shape of Water." Our official Oscar odds have him far ahead in the race for Best Original Score. Trailing him are his four Golden Globe rivals: Carter Burwell ("Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"), Jonny Greenwood ("Phantom Thread"), John Williams ("The Post") and Hans Zimmer ("Dunkirk"). READ THE FULL GOLDDERBY PAGE
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  • How Alexandre Desplat composed in the Shape of Water / KUSC: Los Angeles
    Posted At : November 28, 2017 12:00 AM

    Alexandre Desplat has been writing music for films since the late 1980s, but his invasion of Hollywood began in 2003 with Girl with a Pearl Earring, which introduced his hypnotic, Gallic, and flute-friendly style. Since then, the French composer-a skilled flute-player himself, obsessed with film music since he was a young boy-has become one of the finest and most coveted composers in town. He's now the go-to guy for Wes Anderson, George Clooney, and Stephen Frears. He's been nominated for eight Academy Awards-including for The Queen, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Philomena-and he won his first Oscar in 2014 for Wes Anderson's quirky retro comedy, The Grand Budapest Hotel. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} The latest auteur to crave Desplat's elegant, neoclassical sound is Guillermo del Toro, the gothic Mexican director of Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth. Del Toro gave Desplat an interesting challenge: how would you score an adult fairy tale / Cold War noir thriller / erotic creature movie? That's exactly what The Shape of Water is: an allegorical film, set in the 1950s but really set in the imagination of del Toro's cinema-crowded mind, about a mute woman who works as a cleaner in a mysterious military lab… who falls in love with an exotic fish-like creature. It's even stranger than it sounds, and, at least according to the Venice Film Festival who awarded it the Golden Lion-it's a modern masterpiece.  Photo by Alex Bailey SEE THE KUSC: Los Angeles PAGE
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