First, a “Minor” Recap:

Music. It is a medium we are all familiar with to say the least. It occupies our headsets, AirPods, and car stereos. It accompanies our workouts, walks or runs, and times where we just need to find that escape from it all. It covers a kaleidoscope of genres and styles as we attempt to find that perfect song or series of songs that will befit the mood we wish to encounter or satisfy. Yes, there’s simply no denying the importance to our lives music brings. And its utilization is imperative for another channel we’re more than acquainted with…..movies. And so we come to this……

Next, my “Major” Mind:

What exactly do we come to, you therefore ask? Something which this critic has personally never done before in the 12+ years my site has been active…..the opportunity to do an advance review article about an in advance, 15-minute compilation of sweeping sonic wonder from the upcoming Australian-made feature film, “Iridescence“, a passion project of writer/director/executive producer/cinematographer/composer Quinn, her production shingle Palais Pictures, and Quinn Art & Film. One might be wishing to believe that while hearing a beautifully composed film score in itself can be highly gratifying, doesn’t it lose something when not yet having the associated imagery and narrative to go along with it, to put it all into context? I am personally here to state that the answer to that would be an emphatic “NO!”, because from the very first notes I heard through my Sony headphones until the end of its play time, I was utterly swept away into another world.

If anything, this only served to make me MORE excited, filled with heavy anticipation FOR the film itself to arrive in the near future. While this only represents a small overall portion of the film’s ultimate soundtrack that will also include “expanded vocalizations, contemporary compositions, and collaborations that are still in development…bringing contrasting musical textures into conversation with the classically rooted score” per Quinn herself, what we ARE entreated to here is still nothing short of pure, unadulterated, magical sensations. I personally vibe with deeply ethereal, heavily orchestral (more precisely strings and pad keyboards) scores, and these snippets offered for preview encompassed all of that with a fantastically woven, wholly epic film ambiance. Truthfully, even in spite of NOT having the film for context, I literally envisioned images while listening, only then imagining what the final film will actually place before our eyes.

It’s waves of aural tapestry unfolding through your ears, then into your mind, heart, and soul. Additionally, words like “majestic”, “soaring”, “atmospheric”, “ambient”, “moody”, “evocative”, “flowing”, “percussive”, “layered”, “triumphant”, “moving”, and “melancholy” are but some of what struck me every time I went back and heard these segments again and again. It is that fashion of score that gives you a sense of floating or flying, an overarching mix of what will effectively embody the moments each part is employed within the film itself. It even felt like being pulled into another time and place, transporting us to a realm where the film’s primary themes of “love, loss, and the legacies we leave behind” will be definitively outlined and paralleled by the score’s conspicuously emotionally-charged intent. Not going to lie, I can clearly know ahead of time this is going to be one POTENT film, assuredly comprised of emotively powerful content and messaging.

 

What also stands out for me in hearing this music is that it will be a film where the music becomes a character in and of itself, which doesn’t always occur for me when watching and reviewing films. Now, please don’t misunderstand, that is not saying I don’t APPRECIATE the music in ALL the films I watch, but there are just more specific instances where it just stands out more in HOW it ebbs and flows with the narrative or when used during scenes that REALLY require an additional aspect of “punch” to them that the music serves to ENHANCE. I am feeling that kind of connective purpose with the music for “Iridescence” that I have now absorbed. To think this is only scratching the surface of what the FINAL score will be like, THAT is just one more degree of the aforementioned anticipation I have for the finished work in its grander form.

So, in total, this advance listen-to invokes nothing less than inspired excellence, showcasing that the years of work it has taken for Quinn & Co. to create this film and all it will enfold ARE going to pay off with what I believe will be superb dividends and ongoing success. This is what I hope for, anyway. Now…..we wait…..we wonder…..we dream…..we visualize what should very much be an impressive, dare I say breathtakingly magnificent, film if this hint at its score is any indicator. It illustrates the magnitude of commitment and spirit found so often within the independent film community, and it’s that magnitude of dedication that produces winners. Stay….tuned in….for what has yet to manifest but again I feel promises greatness.

STAR RATING (out of 5):

As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!