26 February 2010

Hey! That Song is the Story of My Life!

Music can enhance a film, pull the viewer into the experience unknowingly and evoking feeling.  But now and again, a song is just too perfect for the situation and the perfection makes me giggle.  I'm watching Diary of a Mad Black Woman, and the following happens:

The protagonist is in a jazz club with her new not-yet love interest - and you should know, this is NOT a date (has been emphatically stated by said protagonist).  They are talking about how they have both been hurt in the past, and then Oh My Lord, a song comes on "for the new couples here for the very first time tonight" (oh hey she's talking about them, isn't she?).  And then the lyrics:  "Where do I start? When do I begin? I been hurt so much. I just need a friend...I want to love again..." (god bless Natalie Cole)

The whole thing was just too pat for me, and so instead of feeling the moment, I'm giggling at the forced nature of the situation and the song.

Anyone else ever notice this in a movie?
Posted by Trisha at 9:32 PM
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4 comments:

  1. I'm really bad about not ever noticing songs. I also never "hear" the lyrics even when I'm listening to a song on the radio... I mean the main chorus I do, but not the rest. Weird! But I think I'm one of the only ones.

    But on another note, I loved that movie!
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  2. I do think songs in movies have a to tread a very fine line between enhancing the mood and feel of the movie and replacing the dialogue and saying what the movie can't seem to say so they play the song instead.
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  3. I am hyper-aware of music in movies. I could name a hundred movies that the music was at least 50% of the movie experience. Then there are the dopey, forced songs, like you said. I don't giggle though, I just give a few eye-rolls and automatically take the movie down a notch or two in my mental rating system!
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  4. Jenny - I'm a lyric queen, able to sing so many and such a variety of songs that it's a bit pitiful. It's too bad I can't actually sing or I'd be a karaoke queen!

    Jenners - Exactly!

    Sandy - Isn't it strange and wonderful how music affects interpretation of a film?
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