Thank you so much for the detailed feedback! Really glad the mix / vibe came across and you enjoyed it :)
All great points. I do think the melody got lost as I relisten. I like writing kind of spontaneosly, esp for a film, but the structure can fall behind. Good catch on string swells. I cut them short as a workaround for the 'soft sustain' patches cresendoing, so I'll want to revisit that