Desplat’s own website offers the following introductory description: He believes that a great film score should find a balance between function and fiction. Function will ensure that the music fits well into the mechanics of the film but the fiction can tap into the invisible - the deep psychology and emotions of the characters, creating a "vibration". Without a doubt, his newest project is yet another testament to this belief. Known for his incredible productivity, 2013 seems set to be yet another busy year for Desplat. As it stands, Philomena is the latest release in a predicted workload of seven feature length scores: No meager feat for someone who works almost entirely by himself- something which is becoming quite a rarity given the current “score factory” trend popularised by Hans Zimmer.
The film itself is a charming adaption of a real life story recounted by the English journalist, Martin Sixsmith in his book “The Lost Child of Philomena Lee”. It has so far warmed the hearts of many festival goers in this year’s Venice Film Festival and appears to also be a hit among the critics. In the film’s well attended Press Conference, director Stephen Frears commented generously on his experience of Desplat saying that, in his opinion, he was “one of the best film composers in Europe”. The quality evident in his work for Mr. Frears certainly supports this.
The score demonstrates Desplat’s typical sensitivity in its approach. Very much like his score to Benjamin Button, it is characterised by predominantly light textures, colorful harmonies and subtly nuanced orchestrations. All in all, the listener is left feeling as if they have eaten a delicate, perfectly balanced French mousse of which every little mouthful has been precisely designed. Also evident in the score is Desplat’s characteristic sense of restraint- over and over again he demonstrates an uncanny ability to express even the most complex scenes with outwardly simplistic means, resulting in a score which epitomises compassion and understanding and seems to feed off the fundamentals which make us human. In the case of Philomena, this feature gives extra strength to the film in that it mirrors precisely the type of mindset Philomena is determined to keep regardless of all the wrongs that have been done to her.
One of my favourite elements of the writing is how Desplat roots his music in the classical tradition,  featuring beautifully structured melodies which balance clarity with colour. In certain places however, it is clear that Desplat has taken some features of traditional Irish music in homage to the main character. This is most noticeable when the action first moves to Ireland and a recorder is heard joining the strings on the main melody. Although not traditional in itself, the slight change of sound colour is enough to be noticed without appearing clichéd. Likewise, a quaver motif in 4/4 time which resembles the rhythmic and melodic qualities of an Irish Reel also appears in the writing at this point. However, it is orchestrated in such a way that it fits seamlessly into the Classical sound of the score. These little details are one of the reasons Desplat’s writing is all the more interesting to study.
Theme-wise, there were two in particular which stood out for me. For many of the old film reel sequences which show the early life of Philomena’s son, a sweet lullaby-like theme is heard, often featuring the sound of a child’s xylophone in the melody line. This later returns near the end of the film and is heard plaintively in the background as the main characters sees her child’s final resting place. The musical connection depends the poignancy and bitter-sweetness of the scene. The second of these themes is a whimsical Waltz, normally heard with light orchestration and characterised by a sense of nostalgic and warmth. It was often used to accompany the flashback scenes relating to Philomena’s first love and succinctly conveys her innocence and uncomplicated joy.
Often Desplat creates small moments in his music which connect to the visuals of the respective film. Some of the more interesting moments in this particular score include a scene at the beginning where the upbeat opening music melts skilfully into incidental music, in this case, a hymn being sung by the church choir. Another such moment occurs later on in the story as we follow Philomena in her exploration of the Abbey. Starting out with a very bare melody, the accompanying music increases in richness and complexity as more and more of her memories resurface. All in all, this was a very pretty score in my opinion. It evoked a jumbled mix of love, warmth, compassion, and above all, a fervent wish to live an emotionally unburdened life regardless of the circumstances. Despite its quality however, I would mark it down due to the fact that it doesn’t offer anything that Desplat has not demonstrated before. Considering this lack of innovation I would give it 24/30.