A.I.: Artificial Intelligence [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] in Bloomington, MN

For his 17th collaboration with director
Steven Spielberg
, film composer
John Williams
finds himself in familiar territory. Though drawn from the unmade project pile of director
Stanley Kubrick
,
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
, with its science-fiction theme and central character of a child, is strongly reminiscent of previous
Spielberg
/
Williams
works, none more than
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
, with which it even shares a similarity of title. Once again,
is able to explore his gentler and more lyrical musical nature, though he doesn't have as much of an opportunity for the kind of lush, heroic melodies he has enjoyed in the
Star Wars
and
Indiana Jones
movies. Here, his major influences seem to be contemporary classical composer
Philip Glass
new age
music.
Glass
' style is heard in the film's main theme,
"The Mecha World,"
which employs short, quickly repeated notes in percussive patterns running up and down the scale.
adds other elements to the pattern in
"Abandoned in the Woods,"
and by the third track,
"Replicas,"
has gone to an
ambient
sound that recalls much
"Hide and Seek"
is delicate and charming, and after the more demonstrative
"The Moon Rising,"
there are several cues featuring the wordless vocals of
Barbara Bonney
.
"For Always,"
a song with lyrics by
Cynthia Weil
that is presented in both a solo version sung by
Lara Fabian
and a duet version by
Fabian
Josh Groban
, is attractive but emotionally distant and unlikely to score a hit for the composer. Nevertheless, this is one of
' better scores, and all the better for managing to find such an appealing tone while remaining true to the film's remote, wistful themes. ~ William Ruhlmann