To the Wonder boldly and lyrically explores the complexities of love in all its forms. Parisian single mother Marina and Midwestern tourist Neil fall madly in love in France and relocate to Oklahoma with Marina’s young daughter to start a life together. As their relationship wanes and her visa nears expiration, Marina makes the acquaintance of a priest and fellow exile who is struggling with his faith, while Neil renews a relationship with his childhood sweetheart, Jane...

After the first listen through of this album (which I put on in the background while I was doing something else) I came away unimpressed. It sounded like the sort of score I'd shy away from. Atmospheric "filler" material always seems so dull and lazy when listened to outside the confines of the movie. However, Hanan Townshend's score for To the Wonder has a way of getting under your skin and raising a smile. Just as you're listening to yet another segment where nothing much is happening, Townshend subtly changes pitch and what appeared lifeless takes on a whole different sound.

I put the album on again and gave it my full attention... and I couldn't believe what I'd missed the first time around. From the opening 'Awareness' (which sounds like an orchestra warming up) to the beautiful closing 'Marinas Theme Overture' this is packed full of thematic nuggets waiting to be discovered.

The score straddles the boundary of movie score and classical music. Nowhere is this more evident than in tracks like 'Marinas Theme The Wildflowers' The fact that two classical pieces ('BWV No 142 Uns ist ein Kind Geboren' by J.S Bach and 'Sweet Prospect' based on the original hymn by William Walker) manage to fit seamlessly into the album as though they are part of Townshend's score is further testament to how lovingly composed this soundtrack is.

This album contains 15 tracks and lasts for 56 min, 31 sec. It's certainly a score I'd recommend you picking up.

8

Darren Rea