Film
l'llRll l l R THE SCORE (15) 123 mins 00.
Dependable but a little dull
The most suspenseful moment in this heist thriller comes as a surprise. It does not involve master thief Robert De Niro cracking open a safe, nor even tyro crook Edward Norton pulling a con trick. In fact, it doesn’t involve crime at all. It comes when Marlon Brando lumbers slowly across a room and hesitantly manoeuvres his vast bulk onto a stool. It’s a thrill just to see Brando on screen these days. It’s an even bigger kick to see him partnered with De Niro and Norton, arguably the leading actors of their respective generations. But given such a heavyweight cast, The Score is something of a disappointment.
The set-up is fine. De Niro’s veteran thief wants to retire from crime to run the Montreal jazz club he owns. But his long-time friend and fence, Max (Brando), persuades him to team up with Norton’s cocky, ambitious young thief to pull off one last heist - the theft of a priceless sceptre from Montreal’s fortress-like Customs House, where Norton is working in the guise of a retarded janitor. Of course, the robbery does not go according to plan.
The Score is surprisingly directed by Frank Oz (best known for such comedies as In & Out and Bowfinger), but he does a solid, self-effacing job, slowly and painstakingly building up tension. Perhaps that’s The Score’s problem — there are few fireworks from the meeting of Brando, De Niro and Norton, while Angela Bassett is wasted in the thankless role of De Niro’s flight attendant girlfriend. Norton gives the best and flashiest performance, but the film ultimately sides with the values of the older guard - professional, dependable, and just a little dull. (Jason Best)
I General release from Fr: 26-) Sep.
l HOllt) DRAMA
THE CENTRE OF THE WORLD
(18) 86 mins 0.
The central idea is srrr‘ple enough: young. successful corr‘pirter engineer tread: geek. Richard l_()l)()!l‘.{tll Peter Sarsgaard» proposes to rock hand (lr‘trrr‘rrier‘wxrrr‘ fBll'lppUl‘l‘l()l'(}lt(1(}ll\/l()ll). Parker: that he purchase a '.'./eel<end in las Vegas ‘.'.’llll her. 810.000 is agreed
and off they. set. Ellen BOlljétlllill \.’./ong's scrxpt then has erriotronallg, immature Richard fall in love ‘.'.rrth ()llt()ll()l)£1ll‘, reticent llorence. ‘~.'.rlrrch fucks up. as rt ‘.'.rere_ their husrness arrangement.
\"Jahg confines the action to interiors. rr‘ostly the Vegas hotel hedroon‘. shooting largely, in close up using digital urdeo. '.‘.’lll(lll gives the frlih a cheap. seed‘, feel. The idea. no douht. rs to get intirrtate ruhhrng up against the hock rrtzir'ks. pores and other
>rrfrces of the protagonists. Ironically.
Cock-tease
the reaserrahl; explicit erotic drama is anything hut rhtrir‘ate. and ‘.'.’llll(} this rs also so". of the point. it rr‘akes for ‘.'l(}‘.'.l|ll(_). And the post coital epilogue realll. says Men. little. ‘.'.rhrch again rrta‘, he the dou'xnheat
lhe first trrr‘e (irrectc: \.‘-./Et;.'ll(: ‘-.“~.’ang and '.'.rrrtr,-r' Paul Auster coilahorated the". came up ‘.'.’|ll) the hrrllraht paeah to Brooklyn .‘9rroke and its egiiall‘, delightful offshoot Blue /r2 lire / a m. txpectatiorrs are thus lrrgh for this their tlrirtl filh‘ ’i’) l'l‘.(;l‘.’t:'
ur rrn‘~.'ol‘. rr rg
point. But this lxllltl of (Z()(§l\ tease just "cut. thorigh to he fair. Auster'scontrrlrtrtmn r1;lrrr‘r'.-r:rl tr;
ain't enough. If only Auster had heen further llt‘.'()l‘.'(3(l. 'lvliles l relderr lllt: Irrlgil‘. 'rl Tltlf. lil'r‘_ -(}/l,(}/;1:;gr>t
from / H (’l .Jen.
26 THE LIST
upon ‘.'.’|llt the provrso of no intercourse
E'l‘ilrtlsRn
(18) 99 MINS O
S/rrner or ‘I Got Bigger. It Was JUST The Bluddy Movies That Got Srr‘allerl' (to misquote Gloria Swansonl. Michael Carrie's new lll()\.’l(} is truly appalling. but the fault does not really lie wrth him. Billy 'Shrner' Simpson is a small time hoxrng promoter with hrg ideas. Hrs newest money making venture is to pit his son Eddie ‘Golden Boy" Srrhpson erchael Ma sdenr against Frank Speddrng's rlvlartrh Landaur US champion Michael ‘lvlikey' Peck lDUl'l'le l-larmonr. The financial future of Simpson and his drsturhed daughters rests on the ()tll(:()lt‘.(} of the fight. Things rnevrtahly go ‘.'.'rong.
'l'hrs rs \’/g/rt And The CITY crossed \‘JIlll an anaemic episode of Eastenders the script so full of exposition and clrche rt l)lt‘;.'ESl(Z£lll\, hurts to x'ratch. Though a fine l(}l(}‘.’l8|()lt director. John Irwin should reall‘, .'t()l he
ROMANTIC court by SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK
(15) 107 mins 00.
Ed‘s/aid Burns' career has prorr‘rsed much and (l(}ll‘.'(}l'(}(l rather a lot less. Since he hurst on the scene as ‘.'.rrrter director star of The Brothers r'flcr'l/rur'r’e'r hack in 190:") he has rr‘ade several attempts to repeat the trick. Srdea'xa/ks Of /'\.’e‘.'.' Ymk rs a partial return to form. though it suffers from poor direction.
In Sidez'xa/ks several characters drr‘t :n and out of loxe and lust and then tr“,
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allox'xed to make an; rriore frlrr‘s: lre rs a f'lrhrr‘aker ‘.'.'l‘.:: constz l‘i“, ;uh‘ps on the latest hart<r'.'.'ago'i Vrefrrarr‘. //.’rrrr.";arge' HI]. fork hero. Hon"? Hood and l()lll|.’t(}l". farts off the other s::le.
lhrs is no differ-am: tless and ‘.'.’:thout
a modicum of hurr‘oi.r‘. its a cold ‘.'.'a|lo‘.'.' rr‘ ah er“pt‘;. hath. -l’aul Dale I Genera.” reease fro/7‘ f r' J’é-I See
to Justify; their actzohs to the carriera I". a ll‘()(1'r\t.l‘.‘(Elliétl". style. There is l::'r‘.'“. !Ed‘.'.'ard Burnsr who is venturing hack to the (rating gan t: a .-.,-r a fart-ed relationship. Hrs t‘.'.'o love interests are ‘.°.'rohg-::-<r '.'.'::rr‘ar‘ Anr‘ -:,- l'ltL-tti't-Zfl (Palra'e and sassy teacher struggling Willi finances Maria ltosar'ro i)a‘.'.'sorr~. She .'.'as once rr‘arrred to Benjarr‘rn «Baud Krarr‘hol/tr n'xho has the charu‘ cf arr ape's
)£t(ll\§3|(l(2 and ‘.'.rho ill turn rs infatuated hr, t'rartress Ashley happe rs to he havrng an £1ll£tll"~.';illl (‘rrrffen rStahlej. l.r<:<:..
This is not so much a love tr‘rahg‘e as a cheating <1*r'<‘.e sexe'a: :rrerexa't. characters. hut somehow as ‘.'.'rtl‘. most t'()ll){tltll(i gossrrr. the :'
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on tenterhooks throughout. .lust. «Kale-err: Altarw
I General release from L’J-a‘ Sen.
AT THE HEIGHT OF SUMMER (PG) 112 mins .0
This ()létlllll‘JO melodrama frorr‘ Vietnamese horn ‘.'./r'!ter director Tran Anh l lung r/r're Scent Of (Green ’apai/a. Clue/or re\.'ol\.'es around the romantic experiences of three sisters who meet up on the anniversary of their mothers death in suhurhan llanor. Although the trio of ferr‘ales work ‘31th one another at the l;ttlt|"r, run cafe. each happens to he concealing an rrr‘portant secret.
The eldest. Strong rNgu‘r,en Nhu ()tl‘J‘llr is having an extra :r‘ar'tal at‘ar'. 1": middle sister Khanh rl e Klranhr hasn't told he: srhlzrris that :;"-.3 s rut-mm? T“ her hushand's child. ‘.'.'hr|st the youngest 1 en rlrarr Nu Yen lx'he. -.:-r\;".:: a l)£ll'll(ltll£tl'l‘,' close relationship '-.-.'rth her actor hrother llqr! ‘N.:.>();..r':,: tar . ".i:1.‘:t;;‘
heeh seeing an architecture stirzlertt.
llrght from its rrrrn‘aculatelr, frair‘ed opening scene. i". l .r".t its: Lyme up to the strains of lhe Velxet Underground's 'l’a'e l-Strtrl .1?:;..'.i.' r reg 2’ t)’
Surhrrre/ annourrces itself as a ‘.'.*orl\ of lahgutzi he.ia;‘.. " cl‘r1..rf.rce"
n‘asks all sorts of turhuient desires. Ne\.'ertheéess. the ‘: """.ir\:>"r; .t<?t;°..‘-t?7.l\‘ approach can feel suffocating: the spectator 'ifll\.‘§ l‘é‘w'O'“ rfi: .rstuictixr t“. I're Yogi Yaihrharr‘oto outfits and the scenes of exert .‘ tom: rr'trra'at ch. .11 t":
expense of actuallx. feei'ng Itt‘.'(>l\.(:<l rh thr- I / r'v’rtrlrouse, lu’nnhrrrgh from / I' . ’5‘ .‘J:
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