What exactly defines an intimate score? Well, something that is heart wrenching I would say. Something that would accompany a scene that makes grown men cry. Now, not all of these come from scenes that make grown men cry. Quite the opposite for some of them. However, the point is that they are not the scores that would accompany a fight scene, but rather a hug or the moment right after the Star Wars title crawl.
5) Small Sacrifice - Ant-Man - Christopher Beck
Listening to this piece alone, you would feel it is a piece from Juaquin Phoenix's latest Oscar attempt rather than
Ant-Man. Like a sinusoidal wave, it starts off small, gets big, goes small and alternates just like Lang in the movie. Each time it gets intimate it uses noise as a reset button to give you the feels all over again.
4) Prologue - Hulk - Danny Elfman
Probaly from the worst movie on this list. This one is a real shame because there is something primal about this score. It is mystical and rural, yet meshes in perfectly with the feelings of loneliness that the Hulk, and thus, Bruce Banner, has. Then it it makes a huge mistake and gets all "action-y" and noisey. It completely turns into a different score. It's like that stupid Drake song with Rihanna where all of a sudden you hear those weird drums. It completely veers off course. It catches itself in the very last second, though. Just make sure you listen to this without the mental image of the movie.
3) Getting Through - Spider-Man - Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman has two scores on my list and unfortunately they both suffer from the same problems. The difference is, one is much better than the other. That is this one. Listening to this one you'd be surprised Elfman made it first. This one hits you right in the feels. Yet unlike Prologue, Getting Through is intimate because it is not somber or morose but hopeful. Each time Elfman gets noisy, it is like he is trying to push that hopeful message across, but stumbles. However, this isn't when he loses his way given that this track is very solid.
2) Agent of Chaos - The Dark Knight - Hanz Zimmer
This one suffers from the same problems as the last three. It gets so intimate for seconds, before trading it in favor of bombastic noise that clutters it. The difference? It does not lose touch with what it is meant to convey. Yes, this is the one that actually makes the big noise work. However, the problem is, and the only reason it is not number one, the big noise is still distracting. It sounds like you're grieving but there's too much traffic on the highway, even though they're in sync with your mood for some odd reason.
1) Hope (Xavier's Theme) - X-Men: Days of Future Past - John Ottman
This one justh as to be it. It doesn't start off loud, it doesn't end off loud. There is something gripping about it as it slowly picks up pace, yet still seems slow. No diggity it becomes fast as it goes through, but it is clear and focused. You truly feel for Wolverine when he wakes up, and you yourself are hopeful in that theatre that you will see Beast, Jean, Storm and Cyclops again. This is the most intimate score because it is the only one that manages to maintain that feeling while being much more nuanced than the others.
That's my toppa (top five), what is yours? I'm surprised only one of mine is from DC.