Press

A List of Quotes

"I've got to give a special shout out to Benjamin Wallfisch, who's work on the score in this incredible. The music in this is half of what made it so awesome. The music in The Escapist reminds me of Tyler Bate's 300 score, that was energetic, intense, and upbeat. Bravo Benjamin Wallfisch for composing one of my favorite scores of 2008."

Alex Billington, First Showing.Net 25.08.08

"A new name in the film scoring community, until now Benjamin Wallfisch has been best known for his work orchestrating and conducting Dario Marianelli’s acclaimed scores Pride & Prejudice, The Brothers Grimm and V for Vendetta. What may not be immediately apparent from those projects is that the 27-year-old Englishman is a talented hugely talented composer in his own right – as his debut score for Dear Wendy attests. A Danish/British co-production directed by Thomas Vinterberg and produced by Lars Von Trier, Dear Wendy stars Jamie Bell as Dick, a young boy in a nameless, timeless American town, who establishes a gang of misfits who are in love with guns as a way of livening up their lives. It’s an unusual, typically Scandinavian film about youthful angst, socio-political issues, and alienation, which opened in the UK in August 2005, but has not received wide distribution in North America beyond the festival circuit, despite actors such as Bill Pullman appearing in supporting roles. Wallfisch’s score is predominantly orchestral, led mainly by piano and strings with subtle electronic enhancements, and is generally small and intimate - but despite its lack of scale it has definite sense of quiet, cold beauty, and features several appealing cues over the course of its short 33-minute running time. Once in a while, Wallfisch allows the orchestra to rise to perform some gorgeous orchestral themes, and even works a choir into the darkly beautiful “Wendy Calls to Dick”.

There’s more than a hint of James Horner in some the woodwind writing, especially in cues such as the beautifully downbeat “Showdown” the surprisingly magical and heroic-sounding “The Dandies”, and the moving “Final Tragedy”, while the gentle “Electric Park” and the desolate-sounding “Dick’s Theme” bear more than passing references to Thomas Newman, especially in the piano parts. There’s some vicious string-led dissonance in “Ultimate Darkness”, a cacophonous action cue in “Close Escape”, and some incredibly vivid avant-garde string writing in the bonus track “Prism”, all of which bode well for Wallfisch’s future. If he is this adept at following in the footsteps of his peers at this early stage in his career, just think what he’ll be like when he has free reign to write what he wants. This is definitely a composer to watch, and someone who film music fans should invest in from the beginning."

Jonathan Broxton, Movie Music UK 17.11.06

"The music for Dear Wendy, performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra and conducted by the composer, is a rich blend of beautifully orchestrated, youthful passages and darkly imbued sonorities. The music captures these characteristics of the group of youngsters, whose youth defies the objectionable actions that change their lives forever.

‘Showdown’ opens the album and is a yearning cue for strings, backed by harp and joined by woodwinds. The piece builds, with high register strings lifting it to an almost euphoric place before gently receding into a soaring, dreamlike refrain. This is a dazzling start to the album and immediately you know that Wallfisch is an inspired choice to compose for film. The strings have a gorgeously full sound and are a highlight in the score, returning in later cues.

The piano is also foregrounded somewhat, beginning with a Thomas Newman-like refrain in ‘Electric Park’ and later becoming the instrument we associate with the lead character, Dick. ‘Dick’s Theme’ is a solemn, simple melody (which is actually first heard in ‘Showdown’), but one that takes on a hopeful air when joined by strings. Things take a shadowy turn in ‘First Letter’, as Wallfisch brings in interesting musical effects. A kind of reversed piano sound which reverbs, a ghostly vocal and what appears to be a synthetic sound, akin to musical rods, pervade cues such as ‘First Shot’, ‘Wendy Calls To Dick’, ‘Dick’s Insanity’ and ‘Ultimate Darkness’ (which is especially unsettling). This music is wholly avant-garde, but extremely effective.

My favourite cue on the album is definitely ‘The Dandies’. It begins with a subtle high register string and the ‘rod’ sound over the top, creating a feeling of some unease. Strings then join, quietly fluttering away (a definite air of fantasy and adventure) with heavy bass strings building beneath. Woodwinds begin to dance with them and the strings intensify, before a horn makes a noble sounding statement. The piece flitters away, with more horn and a synthetic dirge before receding into nothingness. This is a really wonderful cue and is very much like something James Horner might have written in his early career; great stuff.

Dear Wendy is a captivating listen and only available online, thank you Moviescore Media for allowing such great music to be heard."

Mike Beek, Music from the Movies 14.04.06

"The most fascinating thing about Benjamin Wallfisch's Dear Wendy is actually what comes after the score. While I enjoyed the music he devised for the film, a desolate mélange of string harmonies, personal piano themes, and processed sounds, also included on the album were two bonus tracks, concert pieces composed by Wallfisch, which trounced what had come before. While he is successful at creating a mood for the movie about a boy and his love affair with a gun named Wendy, the intimate, always-on-the-brink-of-madness atmosphere acts as a damper for his real talent, which is showcased in the pieces "Prism" and "Discovery". "Prism" begins with a very quiet piano exploring its melodic world in an atonal fashion, with subtle crystalline hits punctuating the soundscape seemingly at random. The crystal effect intensifies as the pianist hammers the strings in a louder and lower fashion, the piece reaching a dark climax at the three-minute mark. Pizzicato strings erupt onto the scene like a hundred balls falling on the floor and scattering, introducing dueling violins reminiscent of Don Davis' avant-gardiste concert work. The second concert piece, "Discovery", blew me away by taking the idea of a one-minute crescendo and reveal and adapting it for a modern classical audience. Traditional string figures descend and ascend over an insistent brass note before being swallowed whole by a gigantic cymbal hit. Majestic, Matrix-like brass calls mingle with Goldenthal-esque flute trills and flutters before the short exultation is brought to an abrupt stop by gongs and loud drums. This is modern music at its best. But I digress. Benjamin Wallfisch's score to Dear Wendy is good but demands a lot of attention as a separate listen. It is a personal score that rarely grows loud, an accompaniment to the subtlety of the beginnings of madness. Even though Wallfisch's movie career is only just beginning, I am already looking forward to hearing more of his works. With the right projects and exposure, he just might be the next Elliot Goldenthal. "

Jonathan Jarry, Soundtrack.net 05.07.06