ETHEL - Miriam Cutler
Miriam Cutler is a master of her art form and provides a delectably nourishing score for the documentary ETHEL. Soft piano supported by joyful string melodies lets the listener feel at ease with the content on screen and also connect with the characters we are introduced to, but Cutler also builds a cultured audio experience through her excellent selection of accompanying instrumentation. With a strong pedigree in scoring documentary features and having been a well established member of the music scene in Los Angeles for a number of years (including writing for 2 circus productions) it is no wonder that Miriam Cutler has been Emmy nominated and is held in high regard amongst her peers; in 2013 she was chosen by her peers to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a member of the Documentary Branch. A wonderfully generous composer who is passionate about the art of documentary making as much as her own music that accompanies them.
Synopsis
Ethel is a feature length documentary about the remarkable life of Ethel Kennedy, told by those who know Ethel best: her family. Directed by her Emmy-Award winning daughter, Rory Kennedy, the film features candid interviews with Ethel and seven of her children. The film is a personal portrait of Ethel’s political awakening, the life she shared with Robert F. Kennedy, and the years following his death when she raised their eleven children on her own. Intimate, funny, and deeply moving, Ethel offers a rare look inside a political dynasty strengthened by family bonds, a compassion for others, and a wisdom forged from both hardship and triumph.
Miriam takes the opportunity to rekindle her working relationship with Rory Kennedy and quite simply weaves a beautifully intricate score that resonates on a very emotional level. In an online interview Cutler describes how growing up in the USA everyone was surrounded by the Kennedy’s and their political dynasty, and to have an opportunity to score this documentary was nothing short of an honor. Through listening to the cues on this album you can definitely feel the personal touch that has been applied carefully and lushly to the musical choices.
Whilst not overly ‘Americana’ in feel it is clearly audible how the use of guitar (electric and acoustic), alongside a bass, mandolins and mandola create a time stamped feel for the era that the documentary is focused on. The main title is a delightful and uplifting cue that opens the album with a homely feel and a comforting approach. Blending together this powerful story through her well crafted musical palette results in a very complimentary viewing experience that does not feature an overbearing score that wants to be prominent. This music features melody, sentimental phrases and above all else a unique ability to make you reflect and digest the information... and all of this through musical choice. There are some very mellow cues on this CD that deal with the sad ness experienced by the Kennedy family and these are played to perfection. There is nothing overly dramatic or exhuberant here; only music that plays out the memories of those dreadfully dark moments in history in a sombre and cathartic way. Young composers should really take note of how Cutler uses economic instrumentation and a simple yet layered approach to storytelling the onscreen dialogue.
Miriam’s scores to other projects such as A Powerful Noise, One Bad Cat and Lost in La Mancha are equally worthy of high praise but there is something that is more unique in this score that sets it apart form anything else. It is economic and unobtrusive and this is definitely a skill that Miriam Cutler has perfected. I encourage further exploration of this fascinating composer as I am sure you will appreciate how marvellous the scores for the documentary genre are and the direction that composers such as Miriam Cutler are taking them in.
Find out more about Miriam Cutler at www.miriamcutler.com
