Kristoffer: I have no idea why this OST appeared only posthumously, though it was Jóhannsson's first Hollywood production.
Before we get to the music, a few words about the film, whose premise has a lot of potential. A deaf-mute teenager’s mother, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, makes a living as a wedding planner in a community centre and meets an ex-wrestler, Ashton Kutcher. Where they meet is more interesting than the course of the predictable (love) story that unfolds between the two of them: they get to know each other while attending a support group for the relatives of murder victims. His sister was brutally killed by a stranger, her husband shot dead by one of his cronies while drunk.
"Personal Effects" as a film thus tells a story of individual grief work that becomes a common cause. Jóhannsson's music would actually fit in very well, if David Hollander didn't completely squander the plot's potential in terms of narrative and aesthetics. Silly attempts at situational comedy (Kutcher hires himself out as a promoter for a fast-food chain called Megabird, dressed in a chicken costume of course) and an overly serious cinematography (everything is bathed in cold, naked light) create friction in the most unattractive, unproductive way. Sluggish writing and the lack of chemistry between the two main characters, mainly thanks to Kutcher's abysmal acting, don't make things any better.
Original