Aeon Flux
Reviewed by Demetris Christodoulides
December 08, 2005
Aeon Flux’ tagline ambitiously proclaims that “The future is flux” and futuristic is the keyword here indeed, for both film and score. The film, directed by Karen Kusama, is set 400 years in the future where a disease has wiped out the majority of Earth's population except for one walled, protected city-state. The film stars an an amazing-looking Charlize Theron, in the role of Aeon Flux, who’s likely to draw lots of male cinema-goers. She is at the center of the movie, as a top operative in an underground rebellion that’s being sent on a mission to kill a government leader and uncovers a world of secrets. Graeme Revell walked into a turbulent situation after Theodore Shapiro, who was previously signed to write the score, never wrote anything and then Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek, the German duo behind recent scores like Land of the Dead and The Cave, came in to replace him but were later dropped as well. Revell had to respond quickly and effectively for the scoring duties of this ambitious project.
Fitting it into a particularly busy schedule recently that's included Sin City, Call Of Duty 2, The Fog and Sharkboy and Lava Girl, Revell did deliver in the end. While dominated by heavy electronic beats, loops and constant drumming that might scare some away with the prospect of a clichéd and boring score, he overcame the obvious pitfalls by passing the score through a modern but organic prism. The main tools the composer utilized in order to achieve this is the blending of the continuous beats with a surprisingly charming, eastern-coloured main melody complete with matching augmented 2nd intervals and a flexible performance by the strings section of the orchestra. This gets repeated several times thought the score and makes up for the rather simplistic melodicism, which occasionally echoes Christophe beck’s score for Elektra at times.
Other cues feature subtle and warm string passages and cello solos, performed without the electronic beats, creating a melancholy but welcome counterpoint to the otherwise rousing pace of the score. The usual eerie piano passages are here as well, often in atmospheric and ambient underscore pieces that Revell molds into a cold, technological sound.
One can’t help but think of James Newton Howard's works like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and some parts from Dreamcatcher several times during this score, particularly when the aforementioned pieces are heard. The rest of the album consists of heavy electronic cues, driven by intense beats, electronic thematic elements, samples, loops and synthesized effects (such as metal bangs and unobtrusive electric guitars), always presented with eastern-influenced string lines on top and occasionally echoing Harry Gregson Williams’ Spy Game or John Powell’s Paycheck / Bourne Identity scores. The album closes with a groovy, trip hop piece, fronted by sneaky electric guitar and scattered piano lines.
Aeon Flux succeeds in keeping the listener’s interest alive by constantly adding and presenting various organic musical elements along with intense electronics and rousing techno beats, giving some personality to a work that could easily drift into a dull techno soup. If you are up for an exciting and modern score, Revell's score is a good choice.
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...While dominated by heavy electronic beats and loops, Revell overcame the obvious pitfalls by passing the score through a modern but organic prism....