AMG Review of Under the Tuscan Sun (Original Score)

Jonathan Widran
All Music Guide

Montreal-born Christophe Beck -- who previously worked with Tuscan director Audrey Wells on #Guinevere -- became quite the Hollywood first-call composer in 2003, scoring #Just Married, #Confidence, #American Wedding, and #Dickie Roberts in addition to #Under the Tuscan Sun, a whimsical jaunt that follows Diane Lane's character as she rediscovers love and life in Tuscany. The score incorporates three musical voices braided together: a contemporary theme, for Lane's character, Frances; another paying homage to Federico Fellini's composer, Nino Rota; and a third offering a comic/romantic interpretation of Italian life. There's early whimsy and bounce in "Follow the Flower," melancholy in "I Broke My Heart in San Francisco," then cool, old-school jazz on "Wish You Were Here" and a touch of cautious romance on "Bramasole" -- four key pieces that set the tone and mood swings of the entire 30-track affair.