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| Young |
Entrapment: (Christopher Young) Despite the immense
hype for Jon Amiel's early summer, 1999 flick
Entrapment, a
variety of deeply rooted flaws kept the picture from attaining success.
Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones are thieves in a caper story that
is as full of holes as any in memory, and the romantic chemistry between
the two stars is betrayed by their age difference and Connery's lack of
enthusiasm for the part. Pacing problems were the most damaging
detractor, with too much of film dwelling on the planning and
preparation for various heists before the final 20 minutes deliver the
goods. For Zeta-Jones, the plot didn't do much more than allow her
buttocks to occupy significant screen time while she wiggled through
laser grids. The film finally did, however, give composer Christopher
Young a genuine opportunity to climb out of the world of B-rate
thrillers (at which he was often very successful) and receive the
recognition his career deserved. To this end, Young failed, and it would
take until
Ghost Rider and his involvement in the
Spider-Man franchise before his next really good shot would come.
One reason why Young couldn't use
Entrapment as a launching tool
was because of the film's lack of strengths. But Young also provided a
score that mirrors many of the flaws of that film, serving as only a
functional piece of the tapestry without really making a distinct
statement. Young had collaborated with Amiel to greater success with
Copycat, and while there are hints of that score in the slower
moments of
Entrapment, Young's music is surprisingly devoid of
character for the subject of dramatic espionage and techno-crime. His
music is a crisp blend of a 100-member orchestra, a variety of snazzy
synthetic rhythms and effects, and a few token ethnic specialty
instruments for the Scottish and Malaysian locations in the film.
Sometimes, these elements form a sleek and stylish sound for
Entrapment, but more often than not, they don't mesh with any
satisfaction. Neither the electronics nor the orchestra are particularly
impressive, and the lack of strong thematic development doesn't improve
the situation.
The title theme for
Entrapment is dull, conveyed
immediately on brass and translated into a slightly jazzy variant for
cues like "Alive Again," among others. It's stale in both its action and
romantic applications and won't stick to your memory after the end of
the score's run. The action material is heavy in brass and, like a few
other Young scores of this mold, mimic the sound of Jerry Goldsmith from
the era. Unfortunately, the similarities here include the rather flat
lack of intensity that restrained Goldsmith's
U.S. Marshals the
previous year. Only rarely in
Entrapment does the action material
move with the same flair that Young exhibited in
Hard Rain, a
score that is easily superior. The highlight of
Entrapment is,
not surprisingly, the cue "Bright Moments," which wraps the sound of
Hard Rain into a monumental string performance of theme. The
electronics are more interesting (and surely more in tune with the
highly technical content of the film), but at times, as in the middle
portion of "Wondering Aloud," they become distracting. The rhythms
attempt to exude a cool, vibrant attitude, though they often are mixed
loudly and irregularly. The lack of chemistry between the two leads is
reflected by the total absence of spark in Young's romantic version of
the title theme. The frequently slight dissonance in the action
sequences keeps them from becoming guilty pleasures. The token ethnic
cues ("The Dancing Jars" and "Kuala Lumpur") are interesting, but not
relevant to the rest of the score. The entire score suffers from a
wandering personality. It very well addresses each individual moment in
the film, but it never comes together as a cohesive work. Fans of Young
specifically may find significant merit in parts of
Entrapment,
but it won't work as a reliable recruiting tool. In its favor, the album
does extend the clear sound quality from
Hard Rain. The director,
after hearing Young's work for this film, stated (in the album's liner
notes) that the score is evidence that the composer's name belongs with
Steiner, Korngold, Herrmann, and Goldsmith. With some luck, that
assertion may be true someday, but
Entrapment is definitely not
the evidence that anyone would need to validate that claim.
** @Amazon.com: CD or
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| Bias Check: |
For Christopher Young reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.48
(in 27 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.17
(in 10,914 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
|
The insert contains a note written about the score by director Jon Amiel.
