MovieChat Forums > Leaving Las Vegas (1996) Discussion > i LOVE this film but HATED the soundtrac...

i LOVE this film but HATED the soundtrack

posted 13 years ago by midnight_cinephile
44 replies | jump to latest

Let me start by saying that this is one of my fave films and in my top 20 of all time.
figgis did a great job with all of it except the music

I know many will disagree with me
but the up tempo jazzy-ness and sting's tunes just do not work for me at all
it felt too polished and smooth for such a dark film
I realize he might have been trying to juxtapose a contrast in mood but I would have done things a lot differently.
specifically-more haunting and darker tune selection/instrumentation

what I would have done;
reverb soaked slide guitars
sparse acoustic blues guitar motif that repeats and or a solo piano piece like the one in 'DIVA"

other songs i would have used-
"sleepwalk"
a plethora of drone type stuff
"downtempo beats
"i only have eyes for you"
"grand pappy du plenty "

[–] The-ManWithNoName 13 years ago

I heard that the director actually scored the movie himself. I wasn't a big fan of the music either, but when I heard that, I was kind of impressed.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] nek-5 12 years ago

oh dude, that makes it even WORSE for me, because that means that someone who obviously knows what they're doing with a camera and actors doesn't have a damn clue what works in a bigger picture. in that i mean that music is such a crucial component to a movie's overall effectiveness that its hard to believe someone with a good idea of what makes the experience work would see right away how inappropriate the music is.

i agree with the original poster...the music is the absolute pinnacle of early 90's weak-s**t jazz-lite banality. its a comically, embarrassingly square soundtrack. was the budget SO low that they couldn't hire some broke musician to write somerhing better? (oh right, they only got STING to write his awful, awful adult contemporary wack crap...!)

having said that, there's at least one musical cue that really works and sets the tone nicely: the piece where they're at the casino and he gets super-gooned and tips the table over, get's kicked out, etc; it's the sort of droney stuff i'm pretty sure the OP was talking about. even if it also contains that stupid-ass trombone from every single other cut uses entirely too much.

[–] The-ManWithNoName 12 years ago

I hear what your saying and somewhat agree. However, even though I usually don't like Jazz, I found more than a couple pieces to be effective in the film. Effective in setting the proper mood, whether it be to make you feel annoyed, uncomfortable, or give a depressing scene a light feel. Kind of like tragic comedy. I mean, the film is a dark comedy as far as I'm concerned.

Robert Altman used a lot of it in Short Cuts as well ( integrated with the story of course)

Example: When he was at the bank and the "walk the dog" type bass line was playing during his "Maybe if you poured bourbon on your breast ect..." Speech. That was a very sad scene if you think about what was actually happening, but the bass line had that comedy club feel to it, like he was telling a joke. The music combined with the writing and Cages acting made for a very unique mixture of comedy and Tragedy. I thought it was a very interesting and perfect choice by the director/composer ( who I believe were the same in that scene)..... So what I'm trying to say is maybe you're wrong or you didn't get the direction he was trying to take the viewer.

Either way, 3.6 million dollar budget...very impressive to pull that off. Would I prefer a style more like Johnny Greenwood? Maybe.....but I like it the way it sits,... Sh!tty jazz and all. It just somehow works. Look at "Drive" and tell me that soundtrack wasn't cheesy,... But it worked and there's no way I'd change it.

[–] eelb 10 years ago

So all jazz is cheesy. You don't have a clue do you? I'd like to see some of you morons go into a jazz club in the 1950's and tell the musicians their music is cheesy. You'd end up with a busted jaw.

[–] The-ManWithNoName 10 years ago

Did I say all Jazz was Cheesy? You sensitive little baby.

And compared to blues, folk, hip hop, rock and Old Country... Jazz is at the bottom. In my opinion. And it's not from a lack of listening to it,.. Live at bars mostly.

[–] eelb 10 years ago

i agree with the original poster...the music is the absolute pinnacle of early 90's weak-s**t jazz-lite banality. its a comically, embarrassingly square soundtrack. was the budget SO low that they couldn't hire some broke musician to write somerhing better? (oh right, they only got STING to write his awful, awful adult contemporary wack crap...!)

You're incredibly ignorant about the source of this music. Most of the songs were written in the 1940's and 50's, and are known as jazz standards. The thought that you associate this music with the smooth jazz of the 90's is an admittance that you don't have a clue about what's going on with this soundtrack.

Like clockwork, I can almost guarantee after I see a film with a jazz score, I can come on these forums and read the ignorant postings lambasting the music. Let's face it, types like you want to Rock on 24/7, and have no tolerance for any other type of music. It's not your fault, the music industry has successfully in assembly line fashion, brainwashed three generations with this trash.

[–] Druff 13 years ago

The only music in the film that I liked was the little piano piece that recurred several times, it was sort of like Ben's theme. I'm not positive, but it sounded to me like a version of the music from silent era films, little comic shorts of a totally drunk guy stumbling home and getting into wacky hijinks.

[–] CasseroleWorshipper 13 years ago

Yeah, I think it's called Are You Desirable?, but the dialogue wasn't omitted from the soundtrack album.
I don't mean to impose, but I am the Ocean.

[–] Druff 13 years ago

I just checked out Are You Desirable on youtube, and apparently it's a jazz piece, with drums, brass etc. Definitely not what I meant. I don't know what genre to call it, but it's just piano. "Old timey" piano, like something out an silent movie from the 1920s.

[–] xynth90 13 years ago

I wouldn't touch the score myself. I thought that humorous jazzy music was trying to make the movie more bearable. For instance the scene where Ben is hunting booze, only to find the store closed, is supposed to be comical. Reason I think that jazz music fits this movie well is because it's a more subtle and rich genre and suits well with Ben's class (upper class man before he went drunkard). I can't imagine this movie very well without the original score. Also, I think this film has plenty of dark music as well but the mood changing comical type pieces are needed to create some balance. This film is dark enough as it is.

Just my thoughts.

"No! I'm in Touch with humanity."
-Patrick Bateman, American Psycho

[–] ObservationBlogger 13 years ago

I watched the movie again tonight. I agree 100% with the OP that the music is it's biggest flaw.

My 120 favorite movies http://www.imdb.com/list/Uvw_F2_GMx8/
What would you add?

[–] piggoli-imdb 12 years ago

Funny, I thought the movie is about OK (that too, mainly due to Shue's awesome performance which makes it watchable) but I liked the songs (I am yet to listen to the whole soundtrack though) more. True that the songs are too romantic for the movie but I love these types of 'soft jazz' or whatever it is called.

I guess one can either like the movie or the ost, but not both! ;)

[–] awsmduck 12 years ago

Absolute insanity. I would say that the soundtrack is what makes the movie, even. With a darker soundtrack, the movie would have been too melodramatic, brooding, less reflective even.
Ben is not drowning in his sorrows. He is drinking himself to nirvana. He has given up; he has chosen to go out blissfully, rather than continue the struggle.
The movie (like the book) is a work of beauty. It's celebrating sadness, death, and darkness. With it's mix of up-tempo and downbeat jazzy and swanky tunes; the soundtrack reflects the meaning of the story better than the characters or cinematography ever could on their own.

[–] The-ManWithNoName 12 years ago

Yeah, I agree

[–] bryggreen 12 years ago

Actually my problem is with the DVD I have of the film. I bought it pre 2006 so I don't know if newer versions fixed this but the music is too loud compared to the speaking! I'm continuity turning it up and down based on when the score and talking comes in. It's annoying. I've seen/heard this on television numerous times but not on a DVD. Anyone else notice this problem?

[–] modica 12 years ago

I have the soundtrack. I like some of the songs and I don't like the more uptempo ones. The jazzy music and the Sting songs work well with the movie. You people who don't like the music are crazy. It is a perfect match.

[–] scottyninethousand 11 years ago

yep, ive noticed this too. sounds like some of those Sting tracks and that one by Michael Mcdonald are just layed right on TOP of the movie, awful mixing job and awful use of uptempo mid90s jazz-lite songs. completely jerks you out of the groove. but ever since i saw 40 year old virgin i cant listen to anything by Michael McDonald, not that i would go out of my way to, but its really ruined my film watching experience now when it pops up in any movie, thankyouverymuch judd apatow

[–] eelb 10 years ago

With the exception of one or two original compositions, none of these songs were written in the 1990's. The majority were recorded by Sinatra in the 1940's.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (21706) 2 years ago

“the music is too loud compared to the speaking! I'm continuity turning it up and down based on when the score and talking comes in.”

I came here to see if someone had the same experience I did!

[–] davodikum (6212) 2 years ago

I may be wrong, generally am. But, sometimes it has to with the speakers on the TV. Movies are meant to come out of sound the surrounds.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (21706) 2 years ago

That may have something to do with it, but other films I’ve watched on this television haven’t had this problem, at least that I’m aware of. I hope others that have seen this film lately will comment also.

[–] endelbendel 12 years ago

Sting can't sing.

[–] davodikum (6212) 2 years ago

If it rhymes, it must be true.