by James Christopher Monger
Composer/ex-Art of Noise-maker Anne Dudley (American History X, The Crying Game) takes on the brutal world of medieval teenage love for director Kevin Reynolds' big-screen adaptation of the legend of Tristan and Isolde. Dudley forgoes the bombast of Wagner's beloved opera and infuses the tragic love story with enough predictable Hollywood adventure cues to placate the average filmgoer, while maintaining enough historical acumen (Celtic harp, flutes, fiddles) to satisfy hungry English majors who like a little romance with their Braveheart. Also, special points are awarded for not including a garish classical crossover pop single from Josh Groban, Charlotte Church, or the Celtic Tenors.