'Aided by Greig Fraser's breathtaking cinematography, the natural beauty of south Australia and a terrific soundtrack (Sigur Ros, Ray LaMontagne, to name a few) anchored by Hal Lindes' ethereal score, The Boys are Back goes from being a banal, tearjerker into a warm and compassionate film.'
' The Boys Are Back has undeniable beauty in its quiet moments and in its scenes of vast panoramas. The rich and gorgeous score of piano and guitar music by Hal Lindes pulls the viewer immediately into the pitch-perfect tone of the film, which is compassionate without being cloying or overly sentimental.'
'He didn't want a score that would tell the audience when to feel and how to feel it. Hicks enlisted Hal Lindes to compose The Boys Are Back's music. He also threw in a little Sigur Ros.'
'Paired with a hauntingly ethereal score by Hal Lindes and featuring songs by the Icelandic band Sigur Rós, The Boys Are Back evokes a memorably compassionate tone.'
'A selection of tracks by popular Icelandic band Sigur Ros adds emotional ballast and nicely complements Hal Lindes' score.'
'In any good film such as this it is keenly important that the music also aid in reflecting the feel of the story. Hal Lindes, formerly of Dire Straits, helped to score a large portion of the film. To finish off is the Australian music supplied by the grunge band Mayfield.'
The music, by Hal Lindes, once a member of Dire Straits, is understated with just a bit of an edge, and effectively underscores the emotions without over sentimentalizing them.
'Scott Hicks’ The Boys Are Back accomplished something remarkable… The film is shot in Hicks’ native Adelaide, Australia, and Greig Fraser’s cinematography (complimented by Hal Lindes’ delightful score) give this film an absolutely gorgeous backdrop.'
'The soundtrack is also refreshing with an acoustic score from Hal Lindes and music from Icelandic band Sigor Ros.'
Music is used effectively, in the form of a score by Hal Lindes of Dire Straits and a couple of lovely songs from the Sigur Ros back-catalogue which genuinely lift the scenes in which they feature.
'Amidst the outback the emotion of both father and sons is laid beautifully bare set against a rather affecting and perfectly pitched score by Lindes, aided by the back catalogue of Sigur Ros’s haunting music.'
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'The score by Hal Lindes is hauntingly beautiful. Overall, a satisfying film.'
'There’s a genuine, well-earned tenderness to some of the parenting scenes — featuring easygoing scoring by guitarist Hal Lindes — but The Boys Are Back never veers into false sentimentality, and that’s thanks to the honest screenplay and fantastic casting.'
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