It is only a few hours away from the Academy Awards, and many people are getting ready to tune into the red carpet extravaganza of beautiful gowns and perfectly tailored tuxedoes. It is a night, some would say the night, of Hollywood glitz and glam where the best of the industry vie for the coveted Oscar. While the headlining awards of Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress may seem like landslide wins, I am curious to see what film will walk away with the award for Best Picture. Although those awards are what guide most viewers’ attention to the Academy Awards, I am going to be focusing on who is going to walk away with the Oscar for the Best Original Score. I personally think that it should be a landslide win for Hans Zimmer’s score for Inception. He was robbed of the Golden Globe, having lost to Trent Reznore and Atticus Ross for their work in The Social Network, and I believe that this Oscar is rightfully his. This is Zimmer’s 9th Academy Award nomination, having won in 1994 for The Lion King, and while many people may believe that it is time to recognize a new composer for their work, I think that it is foolish to not award the work of a genius composer. He has proven himself in the industry, having written scores for over 100 films and garnering over 50 award nominations for those. If you’re still not convinced that the seasoned veteran should stand above the rest on that stage tonight, then you must listen to “Time.” It is the best part of Inception’s score, and it is safe to say that it has made it’s way to the list of my all-time favorite scores, which isn’t an easy thing to break into. The 4:36 track starts with very sullen piano work, and it quickly evolves with the introduction of the strings and horns. The french horn throughout the song truly seals it for me. This moving piece picks up tempo and strength and has such pristine qualities that can really charge up the listener. The horns are abruptly silenced as the soft notes of the piano carry out the final seconds of the song. ”Time” is a true work of art. Come on Hans Zimmer, it’s your time again!
