Pascal Anchors Soulful Symphony of Sound

Tony Gilroy's "Behemoth!" is a unique cinematic experience that uses its film score as its narrative spine, inextricably linking image and sound. The film, which premiered at NYFF, features Pedro Pascal as Alex, a celebrated cellist working on the score for a franchise film also titled "Behemoth!". This ambitious work eschews traditional enhancement, making the music the foundational element from which the drama unfolds.

"Behemoth!" masterfully employs fractured storytelling, jumping between Alex's present in Los Angeles and his past in Boston and Chicago. These transitions, often triggered by the music itself, explore Alex's relationship with his colleague Nadia and his ex-partner Carol. The film cleverly blurs the lines between diegetic and non-diegetic sound, making the score for the film-within-the-film indistinguishable from the movie's actual score.

Pedro Pascal's performance is central to the film's success, conveying profound emotion through subtle gestures and expressions. His portrayal of Alex, a character grappling with life's discordant harmonies, is soulfully anchored by his connection to the music. The film highlights music's transformative power, showing how it can articulate experiences and emotions that words cannot.

The narrative also touches upon the lives and struggles of other characters, including Nadia and Carol, as they attempt to articulate their internal storms. A significant moment involves Alex witnessing a fifteen-year-old Viviana perform experimental EDM tracks, underscoring how new music can emerge from life's chaos, offering grace notes amidst personal discord.