Zidane: the soundtrack (by Mogwai)

A surprise hit at the Cannes film festival last year, the film portrait of French footballer (aka soccer player) Zidane looks fascinating, and sounds even better. The instrumental score is by Mogwai (yep, originally named after the Gremlin) and impressed me in its lush sensuality and moody atmosphere.

Having not heard Glaswegian band Mogwai before (I'll admit, maybe not being up to the challenge of getting into an all-instrumental band) when this arrived in the mail I expected the soundtrack to be triumphant and rousing. You know, maybe like that one song they always play during the seventh-inning stretch with the thumping drums and the kazoo (doo doo-doo-doo-doo-doo HEY! duh-doo-doo-doo).

What I got instead was this gorgeous, sweeping soundtrack that conjures up images of floating away, drifting, or even drowning. There's a taut darkness strung through every song -- reminding me a bit of Massive Attack or the brooding melancholy of Jesus & Mary Chain. The album also definitely has its sexy moments, like the downtempo tension-filled scorchers on the Out of Sight soundtrack (trunk scene anyone?). It's richly layered, revealing new depth with each listen. I recommend it as one of the best soundtrack scores I've heard in a long time.

I also need to see this movie! One synopsis reads: "Follow one of the greatest soccer players of the modern era for a full 90-minute match between Real Madrid and Villareal. Scottish film director Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parenno exquisitely train 17 different 35mm cameras on one of this century's most creative athletes, Zinedine Zidane. While cameras capture Zidane in 'real time,' Gordon and Parenno's artfully crafted debut feature is anything but a typical sports movie."

I'll admit to villifying Zidane because of the way he acted in the World Cup (not that Materazzi was blameless) and because he was on "The Other Team" (I was wholeheartedly pazzo for Italia). However, I understand his talent and his legacy and should learn more about why he is so beloved. With a soundtrack like this, I think I would definitely enjoy the viewing.

Terrific Speech - Mogwai