Alexandre Desplat

Hello, my name is Crystal, and I am addicted to film soundtracks and scores.
It all started with Disney. How can you not love musicals when there are some darn good sing-alongs that I just so happened to grow up in the (rather long) golden era of. I mean, come on. I was doomed from a young age.

And just so you know, I don't mean the Hannah Montana, High School Musical Disney, I mean The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, The Jungle Book, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin Disney. So, in other words, the good Disney.

I grew up in one of those households. My mother was a singer (and still is, I suppose), so you kind of grow up with this habit of breaking out into song mid-conversation. We watched old films, where song and dance were regular occurences, and slowly, I guess it permeated my sub-conciousness.

Now, there was a time when this addiction of mine was dormant, and I kidded myself to believe I was finally sane. I thought I was getting better, getting past it all. I would secretly watch Tim Burton films, trying to delude myself that it was normal to watch 'The Corpse Bride' on repeat. But all in all, it was tame, just recreational musicals, nothing more. I was fine.

That's when I met Alexandre Desplat. It was through a film of course, but I might as well say, he was my downfall, back into the world of of film soundtracks. Now, anyone who has watched The Painted Veil should understand. It's hard to resist. I found myself watching the film perpetually, trowling the internet for the score, learning it on piano. After a few weeks of this, I succumbed, and shamefully sought out my local CD dealer to get me some of that fine music.

That's when I started getting serious. I'd watch a film, find myself in love with the score, and next thing you know, I was buliding a collection. But thoughout it all, Alexandre has always been my first love, I still squeal when I find out that he's done the music for a film I love, and I will go out of my way to watch something he's composed.

I have no intention of ever quitting this addiction. I just thought it needed to come out into the open. It will make us all better people for knowing it.

I remember reading the Twilight series whilst listening to The Painted Veil soundtrack, because it suited it so well. Next thing you know, he's done the score for New Moon.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button? Coco Avant Chanel? Girl with a Pearl Earring? Don't think less of him for doing something Twilight related, he's too brilliant for that. And it is a darn good score, even if you do have to buy it covertly to avoid scandal.

Uh, and also, news flash. He's doing the score for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1. It just cements him as my all time number one favorite composer.

Now, be off and fill your ears with beauty!