Extraordinary Measures (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

The Italian composer Andrea Guerra has created music for more than 70 films since his 1990 feature debut, Viaggio d’Amore. 2010’s Extraordinary Measures, based on a true story, finds two men pursuing the same goal for different reasons. John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) and his wife, Aileen (Keri Russell), have two young children who have a fatal disease. Crowley gives up his career and teams up with the unconventional scientist Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford) to develop a cure. The soundtrack album features a pleasant orchestral score performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra led by Geoff Alexander. The opener, “Extraordinary Measures,” is centered around a memorable theme, and the arrangement includes percussion, guitar, and effective use of light orchestral colors. “Desperation” opens quietly and later turns dark as somber string tones and tense rhythms emerge. At first, “Sugar High” suggests sunbeams breaking through an overcast sky; a later passage is imbued with a sense of reflection. The album closes with the grand “Extraordinary Measures Suite.”