Howard Shore is on a roll. I much admired his guitar-fest for Scorcese’s The Departed and now another innovative and beautifully scored work arrives. The Last Mimzy is a children’s tale of two siblings who discover a box of futuristic toys. Shore writes for a large orchestra with commendable restraint and sensitivity. There’s a nobility to his music, particularly in the eloquent string writing, which finds its ultimate expression in the visionary finale (“Through the Looking Glass”). Shore’s pithy principal motif, “The Mandala”, binds the score together and presents a visual parallel to a pennant flying in a gust of wind. This nautical reference is taken up in “Whidbey Island” (tr 2) and “The Beach” (tr 5), where flecks of harp depict sea spray. A playful bassoon in “Scribbles” (tr 6) returns in a different guise in “Eyes” (tr 13), where in a remarkable passage it imitates teardrops against the sound of parched strings. The whole ensemble isn’t heard until “I have to look” (tr 13) where the main drama is on display in a fully orchestrated composition. It’s a shame about the spurious song with lyrics by Roger Waters at the end. Leaving that aside, I have no doubt that with this bold and poetic soundtrack Shore will feature as a nominee on next year’s list for best film score.