A Perfect Murder

In his latest collaboration with director Andrew Davis, composer James Newton Howard provides us with a very atmospheric suspense score to A PERFECT MURDER.

The film is largely a suspense film, and it is no surprise that there are large atmospheric moments accentuated by choral bits throughout the movie. Some moments were reminiscent of "ER", with percussion and synth slowly building in layers of choral and electric guitar.

Track 6 ("The Attack") appropriately creates a sense of foreboding - building up until the climactic moment occurs, and the murder takes place. Parts of the orchestration is very similar to THE FUGITIVE - we have the string section jumping octaves while sustaining suspense. The large orchestra hits in Track 10 ("You Take Care") are powerful and work well in the film, but are too similar to many of the hits we heard in L.A. CONFIDENTIAL.

Overall, Howard's score works well in the context of the film. It provides the appropriate atmosphere, and even heightens the tension in some scenes. But on its own, the CD is not really a "listening" CD. Howard has done better, and this is only an mediocre score at best.

Also of note is the fact that this is a short score, with a running time of only 30:19. There are also no liner notes to speak of whatsoever.