Tony Gilroy is one of the most skillful filmmakers who doesn’t make many films at all. It’s been over a decade since he directed The Bourne Legacy, which was preceded by the excellent legal thriller Michael Clayton and the corporate rom-com Duplicity. He’s mainly known, lately, for his work on Disney’s Andor, for rescuing Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. So it’s a real treat to see Gilroy return with Behemoth!, a structurally complex but beautifully composed film about the work of Hollywood music composers, in particular, a cellist played by Pedro Pascal, who finds that his work is the only steady note in the sheet music of his life.
Behemoth! boasts the sounds of nine superstar composers, including Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, Brandon Roberts, Michael Abels, Emily Bear, Lukas Frank, Michael Giacchino, Henry Jackman, and Nami Melumad. Together, they have created the backdrop to the wandering existence of cellist Alex Serian (Pascal), who has returned to Los Angeles to care for his ailing mother. It’s put him back into orchestras scoring Hollywood movies, while also grappling with family drama and the ripple effects of earlier self-destructive choices. Alex is a bit of a ladies’ man, a bit of a womanizer; everywhere he goes the ladies are drawn to him. Perhaps, this all the result of a life that seems to have been mapped out for him from the jump. Alex’s grandfather was a musician who died in the same studio where he’s presently working on Behemoth!, a secret movie project. Alex’s father, Peter (Hank Azaria), was a composer for television and took out his creative frustration on his kids. His brother Andy (Will Arnett) is a flake who used to be a rocker of some renown, but now lives on dwindling Spotify residuals. There’s also Alex’s mother, Ginnie (JoBeth Williams), a former composer who is now suffering from dementia in a nursing home.
In short, being a child prodigy in a house full of creative people has seriously messed with Alex’s head. Gilroy explores the line between being a prodigy and being a true musical genius. A prodigy can play anything and everything you put in front of them, but they are prone to stagnation in ways that a genius might not be. Gilroy creates a nesting doll of flashbacks, each with its own unique theme music, to reveal Alex’s chaotic romantic past. Olivia Wilde is hilarious as Carol, a wealthy benefactor Alex slept with but is now trying, unsuccessfully, to avoid. In another, Sorry, Baby breakout Eva Victor plays Nadia, talented colleague who begins sleeping with Alex while navigating another relationship she’s in with a rich guy. Later, a chance encounter with the 15-year-old wunderkind Viviana (Alexa Swinton, and yes, she’s related to Tilda) has Alex wondering if maybe he’s created something more than musical scores in the past.
Behemoth! is an absolute treat to listen to, with each composer playing to their individual strength. Frank’s original song, “Your God is Sleeping”, a pulsing club track created for one of Viviana’s big moments, is among the year’s best. Along with impeccable sound design, the film also looks great as DP Damián García breathes life into Los Angeles’ sound stages and concert halls.
Pascal delivers a virtuosic performance as a musician whose one true passion is music, and everything else is a mystery. It’s not a particularly flashy role, with Pascal dialing it down to play a man who whose potential has never quite been lived up to. He’s okay blending in with the rest of the orchestra, when his talent should’ve made him a superstar. At times, it does seem like Alex is a supporting character in his own story, with characters bouncing in and out of his life. Also, Gilroy’s nonlinear approach yields a mixed bag of results. Kaya Ralls impresses as Bronte, a young cellist who Alex takes under his wing. While they have a couple of sweet scenes together, they don’t amount to much. Better is literally every scene that includes Victor, who is sensational but isn’t given nearly enough time. You wish she would return every moment she’s not on screen.
Behemoth! is such a beautiful celebration of the music that enriches the movies we love, and the musicians whose entire lives are consumed by it.
Searchlight Pictures will release Behemoth! in theaters on December 4th.
