While your eyes will be dazzled next month with the staggering number of great movies unspooling at TIFF, you may want to keep your ears at attention too, because there are some rather interesting names popping up as composers and contributors of music to a variety of films.
Taking a look at the line up of films on TIFF's official website, we've done some digging and discovered some interesting music connections worth paying attention to. First up, it looks like Danny Eflman will be tuning up David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook." Given his more whimsical, fantasy film inclinations, it's an interesting choice by Russell and one that perhaps is the best window into the vibe the dramedy will be taking. Based on the book by Matthew Quick, the story centers on Pat Peoples (Bradley Cooper), a former high school teacher who, after being released from an eight-month stint in a mental institution, moves back in with his parents, then seeks to put his life back together. Along the way he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), an equally messed up woman/love interest, and the two forge an oddball relationship and try to put their lives back on track. Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver and Chris Tucker co-star and with Russell + Elfman + this material…it could turn into something truly special.
One of our favorite scores in recent years was Max Richter's work on "Waltz With Bashir," and since then he's been heard in a variety of places, including "Shutter Island," "Perfect Sense," and more. He's arriving in Toronto with two movies to his name with "Disconnect" and "Lore." The former is an ensemble piece starring Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Frank Grillo, Michael Nyqvist, Paula Patton, Andrea Riseborough, Alexander Skårsgard, Max Thieriot and more about the the impact of the Internet on our lives, while the latter is Cate Shortland's highly anticipated WWII tale. In both cases, his involvement certainly raises our interest.
Also doing at double dose at TIFF is Nick Urata of DeVotchKa fame, who first landed in a big way with his score to "Little Miss Sunshine." Here he'll be tuning up two movies, the domestic drama "What Maisie Knew" with Alexander Skårsgard and Julianne Moore as well as the dark comedy "Arthur Newman," with Colin Firth and Emily Blunt. His work is always a great added texture to whatever he particpates in, so we're eager to see what he brings out with these pictures.
Speaking of indie rockers, musicians and producers Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott — perhaps best known as frequent collaboratores with Conor Oberst's Bright Eyes — have lent their skills to "Writers." Starring Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connolly, Logan Lerman, Lily Collins and more, this dramedy will be the pair's second feature film outing after tuning up "Lovely, Still" starring Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn a few years back. But they've got more than enough chops in reserve, so we'll see what they bring to the table.
When he's not making a billion dollars directing "The Avengers," Joss Whedon goes and makes a barebones, super-low-budget indie movie in his backyard and with this friends, and the result is "Much Ado About Nothing." And taking that indie spirit on step further, the man has also scored the movie all by himself. Is there anything Whedon can't do?
Lastly, on a bit more of a traditional path, Angelo Badalamenti has tuned up the classical music-centered drama "A Late Quartet" with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Keener. The man's varied body of work speaks for itself ("Blue Velvet," "A Very Long Engagement," "The Beach" and many, many more), and we'll be paying attention to this one.