Search - Thomas Newman :: Flesh And Bone (1993 Film)

A film that knows how to set a mood

Mr. Cairene | Cairo, Egypt | 05/06/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There is a thin line that movies like Flesh and Bone walk, its story line suggests an overwrought film, with loud scenery chewing acting and flashy camera work. This could have easily turned into a pointless variation on the pointless U-Turn. A credit then to director Steve Klove and his cinamatagropher Philippe Rousselot for creating a completely original beast. You may not know it from a plot description, but you will never see another film quite like this one. In the film's arresting opening scene an expressionless grim looking boy stands outside a family's house late at night. He doesn't say a word except that he's lost. They let him in, and decide to let him stay overnight. But that's not all there is to it, the boy is actually working with his father on a scheme they've perfected hundreds of times before, where he waits till the family is asleep and opens the door to his father to come in and rob the place. Something goes terribly wrong that night, but the events that transpire in this scene will haunt every character in this film. This brilliant opening sequence grabs the veiwer's attention, and makes the slow burning tense plot that follows all the more mysterious. Dennis Quaid stars as Arliss, a man who isn't much of a talker, "You're the best listener I've ever met" Kay Davies (Meg Ryan) tells him when they first meet. "Depends on who's talking" he replies. As events unfold, with a touch if a supernatural element we come to fully comprehend why he so unenthusiastic about life. "I'm a creature of habit" he says at one point, and by then we know exactly why he feels breaking established habits can be deadly. The dialogue in this film, which is written by the director, literally stings. There are no throw away lines, or scenes that merely exist to push the plot forward. Every line is diliberate and calculated, queitly delivered by a cast who obviously relish this high quality stuff. All four principle cast member are excellent. I've always admired Dennis Quaid since Breaking Away, Meg Ryan successfully sheds the light comedy persona, Gwenyth Paltrow delivers her lines with icey detachment and James Caan is chilling as a man who "values his sleep". I'd love to see more movies by Steve Klove, he has only made one other film The Fabulous Baker Boys, and most recently he wrote the wonderful Wonder Boys. Seek this film out, it has a mood all its own."

Attention to detail makes this movie amazing

John K. Reed | 09/20/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From the openning shots to the last image image of this movie, every word of the script and every shot of the camera are related to the theme of the movie. So much so, one might think Edgar Allen Poe, not Steve Kloves, wrote the script. Flesh and Bone is not only a movie of dreadful pasts and drifting futures. It is also a test of two views of life: fate and free will. Kloves uses every symbol he can to impart this test to the audience, stars and words included. And guess what! He let's you decided! All in all, Kloves script is, by itself, great liturature. Quaid, Ryan, Caan, and Paltrow do amazing work in creating their characters and making them real to the touch. You just have to watch it twice. I seriously recommend this movie for English teachers!"