Hildur Guðnadóttir has managed not just to be a woman in the male dominated field of film composing (though the entirety of the industry is male dominated, to be unfortunately fair), but she’s also managed to reach the point of having won an Oscar. Her Academy Award for composing the score to Joker was well deserved, to be sure, but the Best Original Score win was also an important message to young women everywhere. So, it’s easy to root for Guðnadóttir, all the more so when she’s one of the best and most exciting composers out there. As she contends for another nomination with Women Talking, she recent hopped on Zoom to discuss the film and the music with me. Today, that chat comes your way.
Below, you can see my conversation with Guðnadóttir. Between TÁR and Women Talking, it has been quite the year for her, with another Oscar nomination very possibly in the offering. One of the things we talk about is when a composer comes on to a project and how the timing impacts the work. Guðnadóttir is lovely and clearly appreciative of the acclaim, so it was a pleasure to talk with her. Plus, she’s just one of the best composers in the business, bar none. Justin listen to her music for TÁR or especially Women Talking and that much will be clear…
This here is some of what I had to say about Women Talking (and Guðnadóttir) back at the Telluride Film Festival:
Sarah Polley has an impeccable touch here. What could have been a chamber piece (the novel suggests a play as much as a film) instead is electrically compelling. Polley’s writing and direction, alongside Hildur Guðnadóttir‘s score and Luc Montpellier‘s cinematography, it all results in an impeccably made picture. There’s even some bold choices that perhaps improbably pay off, including sporadic narration from Hallett’s character. At first, it feels tacked on, but it ultimately results in an incredible final line, one that won’t be soon forgotten about.
Here now is my interview with Oscar winner and Women Talking composer Hildur Guðnadóttir. Enjoy:
Women Talking is in theaters now!