Programmed and Arranged by John Powell

Conducted by Pete Anthony

Produced by John Powell

Release Date: June 24, 2003

        Varese Sarabande Records
 

     While Media Ventures has proved itself to be an invaluable tool for up-and-coming composers to gain valuable experience in working on films, only two composers have distinguished themselves enough to move away from their association with the score factory: Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell. For Gregson-Williams, his score the animated Dreamworks film, Sinbad, helped fill a void in the swashbuckling genre that Klaus Badelt and company could have learned valuable lessons from for Pirates of the Caribbean. As for John Powell, his scoring assignment for The Italian Job proves that he can continue delivering fine scores based on his electronic/orchestral style that he has developed through Face-Off and The Bourne Identity.

     Coming across as a mixture of The Bourne Identity and Ocean’s 11 (though to a lesser extent), The Italian Job is delicate balance between electronic elements and traditional orchestra staples. While Media Ventures composers have been playing with this style for years, Powell takes it in a different direction than most and this is definitely one of the better efforts. The two opening tracks give a nice overall display of what Powell is shooting for, and although there seems to be plenty of darker moments included on the disc, it’s quite a fabulous effort for anyone who has enjoyed scores of this nature. The electronics are never far behind, but there are some complex orchestral arrangements going on underneath it all as well. The balance is generally well-held, but sometimes the electronics come to the fore and all but drown out everything else (Tunnel Run).

     When the elements balance out, the end result is more than satisfying, and that is pretty much the case for most of the score. And despite some of the more rigorous cues, there are plenty of more subdued tracks that keep everything in perspective. Ultimately however, the score’s penultimate cue, The New Plan, stands out quite a bit and should serve as an example of just how the two elements should be combined musically. It’s quite a stellar piece of music that really showcases Powell’s talents for this genre and is almost worth the price of the album for just that one cue.