Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Ilan Eshkeri, a British composer who I first noticed when I first noticed Daniel Craig in “Layer Cake,” but let’s save the best for last. Eshkeri has scored a diverse set of films, with no clear connections between them, but his work is always a highlight. That’s especially true for one of his most recent compositions, which helped to invigorate the first few moments of “Centurion.” Prior to that, he provided a regal melody for “The Young Victoria” and ventured into epic anthems with “Stardust.” The full end credits suite of “Hannibal Rising” is far superior to the film, and presents a number of different styles. What I love most, of course, and what is perfectly embodied by the image on the soundtrack case shown in that video, is “Drive to the Boatyard,” a track from the movie Daniel Craig made before becoming James Bond, “Layer Cake.” It’s a terrific film, and that music completely makes the movie in that scene and others.

Centurion (2010)



The Young Victoria (2009)



Stardust (2007)



Hannibal Rising (2007)



Layer Cake (2004)