Howard Shore often does some of his most interesting work on his collaborations with David Cronenberg, but this one is particularly special, for what is arguably Cronenberg's most commercial film since "The Fly" back in 1986. With a charmingly gentle love theme that captures some sense of Americana at the same time, Shore's vocabulary continues to expand with this work, deftly bringing out the drama in action sequences (of which this film has several show-stoppers) and the intensity of a man's past encroaching onto his present. LotR fans will hear faint echoes of Shore's ability to capture dread and anxiety in his music, but it's the lighter side of the film that Shore scores with, touching on romance in ways we haven't really heard from him since "Prelude to a Kiss".
With the disappointment of his score to "King Kong" being rejected, Shore can nevertheless feel proud of this work, which shows a master craftsman effortlessly doing what he does best.
