Thomas Newman - Cinderella Man

For this movie about 1930s boxer Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe), director Ron Howard interrupted his longtime collaboration with composer James Horner and teamed up with Thomas Newman. It’s a wise decision: Newman has a lighter touch and his somber palette emphasizes the fact that Cinderella Man is more thoughtful drama than mere brawling flick (even a track titled "Pugilism" eschews obvious punchiness in favor of ominous, rolling tribal-like percussion. Elsewhere, "Weehawken Ferry" illustrates Newman's ability to write swelling, majestic music that's not bombastic. Typical of the subdued approach is Paul Giamatti’s version of "Londonderry Air," which he delicately whistles. The score is interspersed with a few lovely Depression-era tunes such as Chicago tenor saxist Bud Freeman’s "Tillie¹s Downtown Now," Roane's Pennsylvanians' "We’ve Got to Put that Sun Back in the Sky," and especially Eddie Cantor’s wonderfully biting "Cheer Up, Smile, Nertz" ("Our judges are queer/Our banks disappear/And all the while they tell us to smiiiiile"). --Elisabeth Vincentelli Amazon.com

A beautiful score

This is my first movie score by Thomas Newman and I'm looking forward to picking up some of his other ones. Frankly, while the period pieces work in the film, I don't include them on my playlist on my iPod because they just seem unnecessary by themselves. The score itself is stunning and I particularly love the moving cellos and basses of track 5. Just beautiful stuff. July 8, 2008

Perhaps the finest living film composer...

Ok, now that you know how I feel about Thomas Newman, let me say that even if you're new to purchasing film scores, this is a spectacular piece of work. Yes, the "sound" is typical Thomas Newman ...swelling orchestras, haunting distant whistles, tumbling drums... but why shouldn't it be? Mozart sounds like Mozart, Hendrix sounds like Hendrix. That said, there is A LOT of versatility going on here. Compare the theme "Cinderella Man" to the track "Turtle" for example. These aren't just noodling variations on a theme, they are great songs that stand on their own.

For a real treat, I recommend you listen to the soundtrack several times, then watch the movie (even better if it's for the first time). This is a composer who can work the magic of creating something that is both perfect for a film maker and delicious for a listener. September 10, 2007

The Soundtrack to Cinderella Man is great

Cinderella Man is one of my favorite movies of all time. And the soundtrack does not disappoint. They have all of the powerful songs heard on the DVD. It even has the songs that you could barely hear in the movie because they were simply background music to the scenes. For instance, when Mike Wilson and Jim Braddock sit down together after work and have a drink and discuss the troubled times their nation was facing during the depression, you can faintly hear a song called, "We've Got to Put that Sun Back in the Sky" by Roane's Pennsylvanians. That song is on here in its entirety.

The other example is found in the scene where Joe Gould is seen driving off after just speaking with Jim about his hopes of getting him another fight after Jim had defeated Corn Griffin. Joe is trying to leave before Mae can see him because he knows she would not approve of his talking with Jim and the potential of another fight for her husband. Anyway, just as he gets in the car, and as he drives off, you can here Bud Freeman's "Tillie's Downtown Now" being played--another great song from that era.

Every sound of Cinderella Man is found on this soundtrack. The lone downside to this CD is that the songs are not found in the order they appear in the movie. The first four songs are in order and the last five or so are in order, and the rest is thrown in the middle. They are all there, but as is typical for most soundtracks, they don't all coincide with the order presented in the picture.

This soundtrack is a terrific purchase for any fan of this movie. You will not be disappointed. January 11, 2007

Another good score from Thomas Newman.

Thomas Newman is becoming quite the composer. He has such a unique style, but is able to use it to compliment the movies he scores without the music sounding out of place or out of period. The tracks "Turtle" and "Pugilism" are fun to listen to. The first track is short and yet somehow moving. There are enough songs from the period to lend the right flavor to the soundtrack (including a track of Paul Giamatti whistling "Londonderry Air"). This one's definitely worth having if you're a fan of Thomas Newman. November 7, 2006

Why...

I dearly loved the movie, "Cinderella Man," and the music in it. However, why on earth, on the CD, did they play only a minute, or less, of some of the best music? Like, "Hope of the Irish," I liked that so much, but 52 seconds dosn't do it. In the film it was at least 3 minutes or more. I have decided not to buy the soundtrack simply because of this. July 11, 2006

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