I was delighted when The New York Times asked me to write a piece about (then up-and-coming) composer Alexandre Desplat. At the time, he was much talked-about for his scores for The Queen (shortly to be Oscar nominated) and The Painted Veil (shortly to win the Golden Globe). This story also appeared in the International Herald-Tribune. Director Stephen Frears is always fun to interview; he’s so down-to-earth and practical about music.