Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Little miss music, 4 Feb 2007
"Little Miss Sunshine" was THE indie flick of last year, thanks to its witty script and quirky characters. But the enchanting soundtrack might have contributed a bit too.
In fact, the soundtrack is one of the few that can stand on its own as a truly great collection of songs -- most are by folk-rockers DeVotchka and composer Mychael Danna, with a bit of Sufjan Stevens around the edges. It sounds surprisingly cohesive, and has the same bittersweet, wistful charm that the best moments of the movie had.
It opens with "The Winner Is," which is basically an altered version of "How It Ends" -- a shimmering, bittersweet creation of slow strings, piano and a soaring melody. DeVotchka launches into the Spanish-flavoured "Till the End of Time" and exquisite guitar melody of "You Love Me."
Then DeVotchka and Danna slip into a series of flamenco-rocky songs that evoke all sorts of feelings -- triumph, vulnerability, disappointment, and sorrow -- with lots of guitar, violin and trumpet. It finishes off with the aptly named "How It Ends," a brilliantly bittersweet little ballad that tells how "you already know/yes, you already know/how this will end..."
There are also two songs by trip-folkster Stevens: the sparkling trumpety "No Man's Land," and the expansive folkestral "Chicago" ("I made a lot of mistakes/in my mind, in my mind..."). These add a slightly more whimsical edge to the grounded sound of DeVotchka. Really, these guys go well together.
And near the end -- at the beauty pageant -- there are two songs that stick out like two sore thumbs: the sexy techno of "Catwalkin'" ("Work it/own it/look at you!") and a remix of Rick James' funky "Superfreak." Sure, they sound nothing like the other songs, but the contrast is pretty hilarious. And the songs are quite appropriate for the scenes in question.
Most soundtracks are a lot of cool semi-appropriate songs slung together, without much relevance to the movie itself. They also tend to not hold together as anything but a mix CD. "Little Miss Sunshine" is one of the few that isn't -- if you didn't know better, you might think that the whole thing (minus "Catwalkin'" and "Superfreak") had been recorded by one artist in different moods.
DeVotchka and Stevens have different styles -- one is sort of flamenco-gypsy-rock, the other is electronica-tinged folk -- but their styles mesh well on here. They both sound warm, poignant and earthy, and both use trumpets. DeVotchka does a particularly brilliant job with their music -- low-key accordion, weeping strings, guitar, and some blarey trumpets.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the soundtrack is that it follows the ups and downs of the movie, from deaths to comedy capers to sexy dancing. But you don't need to have seen the movie to enjoy the "Little Miss Sunshine" soundtrack -- just an appreciation for excellent music.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
beautiful soundtrack for a beautiful film, 24 Sep 2006
I saw Little Miss Sunshine yesterday and I absolutely loved it, a really funny film but also very touching. I thought the soundtrack really added to the atmosphere in the movie, making it even more enjoyable. I've bought the album, now all I have to do is wait for it to come out on DVD!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic!, 16 Feb 2008
I adore this album as much as I love the film. The music is so chilled out and songs in particular by Sufjan Stevens and DeVotchka really make it an awesome album. The original Superfreak also gives the album a fun dance twist. The only disappointment on the album is that really annoying one called Catwalking when the it's the dumb fashion show part of the film.
Other than that, BUY! You won't regret it!
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