A review by JAMES SOUTHALL

Philip Kaufman's career is particularly eclectic, ranging from directing The Right Stuff and Invasion of the Body Snatchers to writing Raiders of the Lost Ark.  His choice of composers has been similarly eclectic; as director he has worked with Bill Conti, Toru Takemitsu, Stephen Warbeck and now Mark Isham.  Isham's own Hollywood career can essentially be split into three sections: his sumptuous slices of moving americana in such films as Fly Away Home and A River Runs Through It; his jazz (his first love) in Quiz Show or the recent, brilliant The Cooler; and his dark and menacing scores for action movies and thrillers.  By far the weakest of the triumvirate, in terms of making great albums, is the latter - Isham's moody music tends to fit the film like a glove but rarely functions particularly well outside of it.  Twisted is the tale of a police detective (played by Ashley Judd) investigating a serial killer who is murdering her former boyfriends, one by one.

The score actually starts very promisingly: the moody, dark, seedy jazz of "The City" sets an excellent trumpet line over low, rumbling strings and synthesisers - it's a bleak soundscape to be sure, but is interesting and has a certain hook.  Unfortunately, what follows rarely functions particularly well as music, with Isham favouring various percussion effects (live and taped) and a prepared piano darting around more low strings which creates an unsettling, unnerving atmosphere - it's similar, in fact, to the bulk of Jerry Goldsmith's underscore for LA Confidential but without the explosive highlights or a killer main theme.  "The Docks" is a typical cue, with percussion crashing down to signal excitement but also huge unease being provided by keyboards.  Things don't really change until the closing "You Are the One", which makes for a solid - if unspectacular - finish, with the score's only hint of warmth (brief though it is).

I'm always surprised, quite frankly, when scores like this get released, since there doesn't seem to be that much of a potential audience - the film isn't the sort to generate large soundtrack album sales, even if it is unexpectedly successful; Isham might sell a few albums based on his name alone, but surely not all that many; and the music isn't the sort that will appeal to many casual listeners.  However, it's good that they are since listeners now have such a wide choice of albums and composers to choose from - there are comparatively few unreleased scores (by "name" composers, at least) these days compared with even a couple of years ago.  Twisted has its moments, certainly, but I doubt it will appeal to many people outside of hardcore Isham fans.

Tracks

1. The City (3:46)
2. The Box (1:39)
3. I'm My Own Best Suspect (1:07)
4. Blackout (2:02)
5. An Old Flame (2:00)
6. Nightmares (1:57)
7. Get Away From Me (2:38)
8. An Old Flame Dies (2:25)
9. The Biggest Test of your Life (2:27)
10. A Toast to your Partner (4:21)
11. The Docks (1:52)
12. Cigarette Burn (2:57)
13. You Are the One (5:04)