Vanity Fair Soundtrack | Mychael Danna
an emily blunt review

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Vanity Fair's soundtrack almost makes the film a must-view simply to enjoy the visual ballet this music punctuates, though it is a thouroughly stand-alone effort. Simply beautiful.

Dancing notes full of both fluff and pomp shimmy about the instruments, commingling kind of like the courts' counts and countess' did years ago when such matters were in style. Some songs radiate that era so fully, you can smell the crumpets and stale perfume upon the grotesque wigs of the lords and ladies...as composer Mychael Danna whisks you about, to and fro, in this delightful soundtrack. He's filled it with all the properisms one looks for in their pre-Victorian ditties.

Track one 'She Walks in Beauty,' performed by Sissel is a benevolent ode that makes you conjure up orphans with their little heads held high.
Tracks following lead us about this ornate tale with or without the film's influence. It's a tale in notes orchestrated perfectly. The titles are great. Like track 13, the telling 'I Owe You Nothing'....oh what a gloriously telling title that is eh?

Vanity Fair, the film, is directed by Mira Nair, a native of India, known for her Bollywood films. So it's only fitting Thackeray's novel have extended Indian influence and Danna includes a Indian tune. Here it's track 25, 'Gori Re'. Whether you're into that swing or not your hips may start to gyrate- just warning you.  Buy it