By Charlie Brigden
Title: Wishin’ and Hopin’
Composer: Matthew Llewellyn
The Film: Chevy Chase looks back to when he was a kid growing up in a small Connecticut town in the sixties. Molly Ringwald is his teacher and boy, am I jealous.
The Score: Matthew Llewellyn’s score is delightful. Built around a versatile and buoyant motif, it has a touch of the English at times, and at points sounds almost Hobbit-ish (it’s the woodwinds). But there’s an solid emotional core and a sense of dark humour that pulls it back when it threatens to get too saccharine.
Distinguishing Features: Llewellyn’s command of the orchestra and its palette is something immediately noticeable and commendable. The score has a wonderfully pleasant sound, but whle being light and fluffy can’t really be dismissed as some would attempt to.
Final Thoughts: Wishin’ and Hopin’ is a lovely score and Matthew Llewellyn is clearly going places. He has a fine sense of colour and thematics, and I imagine his music probably elevates the material. One to watch.
Wishin’ and Hopin’ is out now from MovieScoreMedia
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