Adaptation.

Evolution to Music
by: peter naldrett - uk correspondent

A new Nicolas Cage film is always worth taking a look at, but especially when it comes from the creative talents of Being John Malkovich director, Spike Jonze. Jonze unleashes Adaptation on the British public on February 28, and given the critical success of his debut outing it should be worth the entrance fee. It is accompanied by a soothing and interesting soundtrack from the hand of Carter Burwell, who was also in on the music for Being John Malkovich.

Through much of the soundtrack to Adaptation, there is a haunting tune on guitar that reflects the frustration and feelings of inadequacy that Nicolas Cage’s script-writer character engages in throughout the film. Nowhere is this brought to life more than in Fatboy Slim’s remix of the title track and intro to the Adaptation CD. The rest of the score is left to Burwell, a veteran of the downtown New York art and music scene who worked on films such as Blood Simple, Kalifornia, Fargo, The Big Lebowski and Oh Brother Where Art Thou?.

The feeling for much of the Adaptation score is dark and mysterious in a modern-classical genre that film soundtracks can afford. On its own it might not mean much to a random listener, but if you go to see the film in the coming weeks and enjoy it, this is a good piece of music to take home with you. Even if it’s just for that haunting guitar that emerges again in tracks like "The Writer," "The Crazy White Man" and "Approaching The Object of Desire," it will be worth it. The soundtrack to Adaptation is out on February 24, a few days before the film gets its premiere. 19-Feb-2003 3:02 PM