Search - Rolfe Kent, Hal / Willis, Ginger Willis, Thomas (Fats) Waller :: Town & Country [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

Actor-turned-director Peter Chelsom calls Town & Country the "story of a man who dips his toe in the water of extramarital activity and nearly drowns," but it is better described as a comedy of manners tailored to the talents of stars Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, and Gary Shandling. Chelsom wisely delegates the musical score to fellow Englishman Rolfe Kent, a musician who's become one of the foremost practitioners of sophisticated comedy scoring (see Slums of Beverly Hills, Election, Nurse Betty). This soundtrack kicks off with a slate of pop tunes--from Patsy Cline and Louis Armstrong to Django Reinhardt and the Royal Crown Revue--that set the film's screwball tone, and Kent manages to subtly evoke the same sentiments in his playful orchestral writing. The musical touchstones here are the European comedic scores of Rota, Piovani, and, especially, Morricone's rich '70s oeuvre, though Kent infuses his distinctive work with modern touches and imaginative instrument choices. --Jerry McCulley