Vanilla Sky

He Gets It
by: bill aicher

In today's film scene there isn't one director who puts more tender loving care into deciding which songs are used in his movies. Rather than put together a combination of original compositions, a stew of today's hottest flash-in-the-pan artists, or a selection of so-called "classic" songs, director Cameron Crowe once again painstakingly selected the songs for his latest offering, Vanilla Sky - and it shows.

Following up last year's spectacular Almost Famous (which itself had one of the best soundtracks of 2000), Crowe has moved forward from a soundtrack of the 70s to a soundtrack of today. Simply selecting tracks from an array of artists including Radiohead, R.E.M., Red House Painters, Jeff Buckley, Sigur Ros, and Chemical Brothers would have shown Crowe appreciates some of today's biggest artists, but what is fascinating is the track selection. Representing Radiohead is "Everything in It's Right Place" from Kid A; for Buckley there is "Last Goodbye" from his classic Grace. R.E.M. and Paul McCartney both contribute original songs for the soundtrack as well - McCartney performing the film's title track.

The soundtrack, however, is more than a lesson in what's cool in music. There is an underlying theme felt even in listening to the album from start to finish, one that gives a general feel for what Vanilla Sky is all about. The slow build and frenetic end of Chemical Brothers' "Where Do I Begin" (from Dig Your Own Hole) and Peter Gabriel's classic "Solsbury Hill" are proof of this alone.

The film itself isn't what matters here. Regardless of whether Vanilla Sky lives up to our hopes (which it undoubtedly will, given the hands it has been placed in), the soundtrack alone is reason enough to have the film been made. It will sneak some of these artists right in front of popular culture's face, and hopefully popular culture will open its eyes. 14-Dec-200 9:45 AM