The Score

The Score is a deeply ambitious movie. An ensemble chamber piece set in a bar, yet with a twist: all the characters can hear the dramatic score (the non-diegetic turned diegetic music) for the film they're featuring in. As the story progresses, the soundtrack begins to affect more and more the development of the plot and the decisions of the crew of kooky characters. For reference, a comparison could be made to the successful short film The Gunfighter in which the characters can hear and address Nick Offerman's narration; although I'd argue this particular picture is slightly more enjoyable and considerably more inventive... it's just that with all its potential, it doesn't quite stick the landing. It's technically adept and terrifically well-acted, but the metatextual comedy-crime hybrid premise doesn't always feel as elegant or as entertaining as it should - there are a few little reasons for this, although it shouldn't overshadow the movie's direction, editing and sound which are consistently superb.

It's a sharp-looking work, lit clearly and carefully. Whilst it's all set in one location and shot in a studio of some kind, the visual construction of the movie feels most dynamic. This is prevalent during the opening scene, arguably the short's best and most arresting moment. We're introduced to an erratic person in a bathroom who's high and talking to herself in the mirror. The cutting and shot sequencing - in terms of how you open a film - is absolutely outstanding. It's kinetic, subjective and places you in the confused, distressed headspace of the subject before we're even aware of what's going on. So why, it must be asked, does the rest of The Score not always maintain this raw, cinematic power...?

I'm a big advocate for the 20-to-30-minute movie (this clocks in at 25 minutes); it's a difficult runtime in terms of festival submissions, which is why they're not always successful. However, I always admire a film of that length for a project should be as long or as short as the artist feels necessary. I wish, therefore, that the pacing of The Score was a little tighter, and with its high concept (as opposed to relying on mood, atmosphere or aesthetic), you can't help but wonder whether the meta-comedy would work better were the script more concise. Unfortunately, the film also gets bogged down in the humorously convoluted nature of the in-world crime narrative - a lot of which is very well done - that it often distracts from the actual concept the piece wants to explore. Dialogue can risk feeling unnatural, but thankfully the performers are skilled, devoted and in on the joke.

The staging and blocking is fantastic and conducted with an unusual clarity. Casual viewers may not consider just how difficult it is to visually structure dialogue sequences between as many as five characters, but The Score makes it look easy. Throughout the 25 minutes, I never identified any issues relating to direction and cinematography: it's clean and flows nicely and would feel even more virtuosic were the screenplay a tad more elegant. But despite nitpicking, it's a great time and will definitely please audiences. There are also a couple incredible practical special effects which are very convincing and rare to see in smaller movies. I commend the filmmakers on using their base concept to make such a fun romp, and I hope to see more from them in future.