Alexandre Desplat writes lush, idiosyncratic scores, mostly for small films. Okay, "The Painted Veil" wasn't exactly small, but it certainly wasn't a $180 million behemoth like "The Golden Compass." I'm a big fan of his work, so I was curious to see if he could pull off the kind of epic grandeur we've come to expect from a Howard Shore or a John Williams. And he does, quite admirably. I thought the score was perfect for the film when I saw it, and I've gotten great enjoyment listening to it at home. If I have an objection, it would have to be that at moments there's something of the generic big movie score about the work. But it's a very, very good big movie score, so it's a minor reservation. Oh, and I don't care for the Kate Bush song at all, it's embarrassing, frankly. So check out "The Golden Compass." If you already like Desplat, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at this other side of him. And if you're just into sweeping movie music, you'll certainly be well satisfied.