In anticipation of Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost

ruby_fff

And it's a musical, with songs/tunes by Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, with film score, once again, by Patrick Doyle, the wonderful original music composer for the 1993 "Much Ado About Nothing" (which was infectious, easy to comprehend, and sweeps you away by the sheer joyful production and performances led by director Kenneth Branagh, who adapted Shakespeare's poetry for all long before "Shakespeare in Love" became an instant popular success.)

I don't often do this: buying a film's soundtrack before I see the film. The trailers, the Charlie Rose interview with Kenneth Branagh, Alicia Silverstone and Nathan Lane, simply propelled me to pick up a CD copy of the truly infectious music. The excitement of first seeing the poster outside the cinema -- WOW! a musical's coming! The fascination of first seeing the film being introduced among the trailers with intro words: "Stanley Donen and Martin Scorsese present" on screen -- that's already a definite influence on me. I have not seen Donen's name for quite a while, and his name certainly associates with quality musical and wonderful movie experience guaranteed; the same with Scorsese's name -- sounds like a MUST for sure. The music and dance presented in the trailer is exhilarating!

The soundtrack is truly no disappointment: it's irresistible! It brings back memories of the wonderful MGM musicals and the grandness of it all. It's too marvelous for words! Branagh's effort of having the cast singing and dancing along with him reminds me of a similar effort of Woody Allen's 1997 "Everyone Says I Love You", when everyone in the cast danced, and sang (except one) -- here in Love's Labour's Lost, everyone sounded well in tune and professional. It's rare we get to have a musical these days, let alone a superb one. If you like musical, and a bonus if you appreciate Branagh and Doyle's collaborations, get the soundtrack of Love's Labour's Lost and immerse in the melodies and magic of it all. Bewitched you shall: "'heaven. I'm in heaven…" you'll be singing along. Definitely go enjoy Branagh's "Love's Labour's Lost"!

score 8/10

ruby_fff 11 June 2000

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0617991/