For this Nancy Meyers-directed romantic comedy, Hans Zimmer serves up a breezy score quite different from the more heavy-duty works he's become known for. This may have something to do with the film's tone, of course, but also with the fact that Zimmer has sole credit on only two cues, having co-written the others with members of his extensive stable of helpers, including guitarist Heitor Pereira and even pop artist Imogen Heap (who also contributes wordless vocals in addition to getting writing credits on three tracks). In the film, Jack Black's character is a composer who namedrops Ennio Morricone; Zimmer steps up to the challenge with the opening track, "Maestro" (one of his solo compositions), which evidently seeks to emulate the romantic sweep of some of Morricone's scores and nearly succeeds. (This may sound like a criticism but getting near Morricone level is nothing to sneeze at.) A little later "Verso e Prosa," a collaboration between Pereira and Herb Alpert--who contributes his immediately identifiable trumpet--also stands out. If the rest of the CD had shown as much spirited zest as these two tracks, the album could have become a prized addition to any soundtrack lover's library; alas, the other cues are too devoid of personality to make a lasting impression. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
