George Fenton (1949-2026)

One of those composers you figure might have fallen off after an incredibly fertile period in the 80s and/or 90s, George Fenton never stopped working, but it helps to have consistent collaborators like Nicholas Hytner, Andy Tennant and Ken Loach, all of whom are likely in mourning along with other film music fans as Fenton has passed away.

My first encounter with Fenton ended up being my favorite. Neil Jordan, a long ago collaborator with the composer, wrote and directed the ghost comedy High Spirits. It’s more than likely that the film’s producers wanted the film to be more like Beetlejuice, which had come out while the film was still shooting. That tonal imbalance resulted in a very middling effort, but the tech credits - especially Fenton’s colorful, Irish-flavored score - were above reproach.

Like any composer, he had his occasional missteps: some of his comedy scores hit the wrong note (Multiplicity, Bewitched) and he never quite found the right footing for Cold Pursuit (though, in fairness, that tonally confused movie would've defeated most composers). But these are very minuscule against the many amazing scores he wrote: The neo-classicism of Dangerous Liaisons. The Hitchcockian thrills of Final Analysis. The delightfully jazzy music of The Duke (which I had discovered when I had been gifted with the ability with the opportunity to review it). The religious excitement of We're No Angels. The delightful holiday music of Mixed Nuts and another hidden gem on his résumé for Tennant's Fool‘s Gold, a sweeping adventure score with some engaging detours; the pseudo rap music he created for Kevin Hart’s villainous character Bigg Bunny still cracks me up.

A composer of many colors, he will definitely be missed.