Composer Dario Marianelli has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for ‘Anna Karenina’ making him the sole Italian Oscar candidate this year.
It is Marianelli’s third Academy Award nomination: he was previously nominated for Best Original Score for ‘Pride & Prejudice’ (2005) and ‘Atonement’ (2007). Marianelli won both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for ‘Atonement’ in 2008.
‘Anna Karenina’ is a British drama film from 2012, directed by Joe Wright and adapted by Tom Stoppard from Leo Tolstoy’s 1877 novel of the same name. Starring Keira Knightley and Jude Law. It tells the story of Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley), the wife of a highly placed government minister Alexi Karenin (Jude Law). But when she meets a handsome cavalry officer, Count Vronsky (Aaron Johnson), he offers her the passionate love her marriage is lacking, which places her at the centre of a devastating scandal.
The Italian composer faces tough competition. He is up against Alexandre Desplat for ‘Argo’ (2012), Mychael Danna for ‘Life of Pi’ (2012), John Williams for ‘Lincoln’ (2012) and Thomas Newman for ‘Skyfall’ (2012).
Marianelli was nominated for a Golden Globe for ‘Anna Karenina’ but lost to the Canadian composer Danna. American composer Williams is a giant in the film world, having scooped up numerous awards over his 60-year career, including five Oscars and four Golden Globes.
However, some are tipping that this year’s gong will go to American composer Newman for his inventive work on the latest Bond movie – it is his 11th Academy Award nomination. The evening of 24 February will reveal whether Marianelli’s reinvention of Russian Romantic music will win the Academy’s vote.
