Confidence (2003)

Director: James Foley
Official site: http://www.confidencethemovie.com/main.htm

Score soundtrack released 2003.4.29 as Thrive 90706

UK cinematic release 22 August 2003; US Region 1 DVD release 16 September 2003

THE FILM

A sharp and polished grifter, Jake has just swindled thousands of dollars from the unsuspecting Lionel Dolby with the help of his crew—Gordo, Miles and Big Al—and two corrupt LAPD officers—Lloyd Whitworth and Omar Manzano. But as Jake soon learns, Lionel wasn't just any mark, he was an accountant for eccentric crime boss Winston King. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Jake offers to repay "The King" by pulling off the biggest con of his career.

THE MUSIC AND THE SOUNDTRACK

Beck delivers a very contemporary score, effortlessly hitting a cool beat to accompany the film. Very much a synth, guitar and drum kit score, clearly defined in Beck's canon of film scores by following a 'sound' rather than a strictly thematic line of thought, although there are thematic recurrances. The result is not only a perfect match for the film but on reflection gives it a sense of cool and ruthless intelligence that it doesn't fully deserve - "it's good but it's not that good." (mis-quote). On disc it is perhaps the more melodious cues such as 'The big finish' and 'Intuition' that stand out, making this very much a score of two halves, the emotionless cool of the beat-lead music versus the more orchestral introverted cues. One stylish soundtrack.

Non-Beck tracks are indented and credited below

01. Dolby's con
02. Main title
03. All about the money
04. Big Deal Al
  05. Hayling
  06. What does it all mean
07. Finding Ashby
08. King's lair
09. The big finish
10. Special agent Butan
11. Heroin
  12. Suntoucher
  13. Simple things
14. The new Mark
15. Hook, line, stinker
16. Intuition
17. Lilly's assault
18. Shakedown
  19. Emerge
20. Trust
21. Ibor City
22. Refridgerator gun
23. Big gay hat
24. Vig's Judas
  25. Madame Hollywood
26. Got stupid
27. Pinched
28. Endgame
  29. Sucker

Total CD timing: 1:19'05"
Total Beck score: 41'06"

Songs on disc:

"Hayling"
Written by Ormondroyd, Nowell Collyer, Huld; vocals by Huld
Performed by PC Kahuna
Courtesy of Run Recordings

"What does it all mean?"
Written by Jack Dangers and Zack Sciacca
Performed by Meat Beat Manifesto
Courtesy of Sony Music

"Simple things" (Dorfmeister Con Madrid De Los Austrias Dub Mix)
Written by H. Binns, S. Hardaker and S. Barker
Performed by Zero 7
Courtesy of Palm Pictures

"Emerge" (Dave Clarke remix)
Written by Warren Fischer (music) and Casey Spooner (lyrics/vocals); plus Lizzy Yoder
Performed by Fischerspooner
Courtesy of Capitol Records

"Madame Hollywood" (Ursula 1000 Remix)
Written by C Herve and F Stallings Jr, (as "She's the story") and arranged by Felix
Performed by Felix Da Housecat
Courtesy of Emperor Norton Records

"Suntoucher" (The Nextmen's Submarine Mix)
Performed by Groove Armada

"Sucker"
Performed by Peaches

Amazon.com review:

James Foley caper starring Edward Burns, Andy Garcia, Dustin Hoffman gets long soundtrack album. Beck's score is moody, low-key affair (with just a touch of Thomas Newman-ish feel) using array of strings, bass, keyboards, drums. Lean, transparent music winds about for quite a spell. High-tech vocals add to length.