A Thing About 'Best Original Score'

It's really interesting to see how the Oscar goes for Best Original Score. From what I generally gather among avid movie-watchers who really know about music, the movie that has a better score rarely wins. I'm going to use the two most recent winners to prove some points.

My theory is this: Quality of the music is obviously very important, and account for maybe 80-85%, whereas how the score plays into the movie is the remaining 15-20%.

This year the Oscar went to Atonement composer Dario Marianelli. Word around the campfire is that both the Ratatouille and 3:10 to Yuma scores were better. Maybe -- I personally prefer Atonement's. But what makes the Atonement score so much better is how it ties to the movie -- the clacks of the typewriter in tempo, coming and going. The recurring themes and how, just listening to the score, I can imagine the scenes in my head so that I don't have to watch the movie again. The others, not so much.

The previous year Gustavo Santaolalla won for Babel. That time I feel the win was a joke. Here, it enhances the movie's feel, but composition-wise, left much to be desired. Personally, I'm shocked Pan's Labyrinth didn't win, and that's still one of my favorites today. Notes on a Scandal also had a great score, as did The Queen.

There is a very interesting similarity here, though.

Atonement - 7 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. One win - Best Score.
Babel - 7 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. One win - Best Score.

Hmm...