John f Carter

Writing a soundtrack for Being John Malkovich couldn't have been an easy task for Carter Burwell. How many films so freely sneak between absurdity, fantasy, and dark melancholy–often in the same scene? Thankfully, the film composer rose to the task. The music of Being John Malkovich varies from introspective simple piano solos to a snippet of Bartók, but mostly revolves around an orchestrated theme found from the start of the movie (heard in the track "Puppet Love" all the way through "Future Vessel"). There are some odd surprises, such as Björk's dreamy contribution of "Amphibian" and "Malkovich Masterpiece Remix," in which the actor reciting his name is transformed into a goofy trip-hop tune. Track 17 is an excerpt of Burwell verbally explaining a scene to his orchestra; on track 18 ("Lotte Makes Love"), we get to hear the outcome. Just like the movie, this soundtrack can be repetitive at times, but it's a perfect accompaniment to this weird and wonderful film. –Jason Verlinde