Downsizing (Music from the Motion Picture) is the film score composed by Rolfe Kent to the 2017 film Downsizing directed by Alexander Payne starring Matt Damon. The score was released through WaterTower Music on December 22, 2017.
Contents
Background
Rolfe Kent who previously scored Payne's first three films had been announced as the composer for Downsizing in 2017. The initial brief that Payne provided to Kent was to provide a beautiful classical music for a satirical film representing absurd human emotions. As Kent felt the visuals to be inspired by Stanley Kubrick's works, he wanted to do a Johann Strauss II inspired waltz music or partly grand operatic pieces which did not fit the film after multiple experimentations, hence went ahead with lot of classical music styles. Kent also wrote few Norwegian, Swedish and Glaswegian lyrics to connect with the countries and the characters in the narrative, as well as binding the linguistic nature in the narrative.
A rough cut was provided to Kent when he first signed the project. He was involved in the project for five months discussing the soundscape and ambient nature of the film's music, adding that he had scored the film two-and-a-half times. Kent wrote the score within four weeks and recorded the orchestra within a week's duration.
Release
The soundtrack was released through WaterTower Music on December 22, 2017.
Reception
Jonathan Broxton of Movie Music UK wrote "Kent has successfully navigated this minefield and made Downsizing a little gem: it's pretty, appealing, appropriately poignant and emotional, thematically strong, instrumentally interesting, and even makes room for a song." Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Rolfe Kent's score is discreetly supportive of this moving and beautiful film." Lee Marshall of Screen International called it "a swelling orchestral soundtrack". Nick Johnston of Vanyaland wrote "Rolfe Kent's score is a bit overwhelming at times". Lillian Crawford of Varsity described it as a "breakout score" from Kent. Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood called it "whimsical". Robert Kojder of Flickering Myth wrote "the original music from Rolfe Kent maintains the whimsically tuned beats that perfectly set the opening act, which is filled with ideas and imagination."
Personnel
Credits adapted from WaterTower Music: