Composed by: JOHN OTTMAN
Film Genre: Mystery/Thriller
PLOT: Talented art forger Harry Donovan (Jason Patric) agrees to forge a Rembrandt for a shadowy group of international art dealers, only to find himself double-crossed by them and framed for murder. He embarks on a cross-Europe run for his life, with noted Rembrandt expert Dr. Marieke Van Den Broek (Irene Jacob) as his unwilling accomplice, because she's the only one who can identify his painting as a fake. Now, the man who forged the painting and the only person in the world who knows for sure must try to solve the mystery before they wind up dead, too...
TRACK LISTING:
1. Opening Titles
2. Tricks Of The Trade
3. The Dealers
4. The Creation
5. Rubbing It In
6. Research
7. On The Run Again
8. Tokens Of Rembrandt
9. A Note
10. Re-Creation
11. Police Search
12. Harry's Gift
13. The Reveal
14. Forgive Me
15. The Eyes
16. To Catch A Train
17. The Truth
18. Interlude
19. Front Page News
20. A Murder?
BACKGROUND: INCOGNITO came out in 1998, and was meant to be something of an homage to Alfred Hitchcock's chase thrillers. With talented, attractive leads in Jason Patric and Irene Jacob, and an intriguing plot revolving around art forgery, romance, intrigue, and murder, it seemed like INCOGNITO couldn't miss.
Unfortunately, while INCOGNITO is an above-average thriller, it has some very glaring flaws. Most notably in the second and third acts, where Harry Donovan makes some colossaly bone-headed decisions that no normal human would make. Clearly, he's just pushing the plot forward in the most synthetic way. Too bad, because the first act is perfection in its graceful set-up of INCOGNITO's central conflict: a forger who finds himself ensnared in a trap because he's just too good of a forger - and the woman who gets pulled into the fray because she's too sharp for her own good.
Fortunately, the movie is saved somewhat by a lush, classy, vibrant score that is suspenseful, sinister, romantic, and quirky all at the same time. In fact, the way I first heard of INCOGNITO was through its musical score, which an online magazine had rated pretty highly. I saw the movie and enjoyed it quite a lot, mainly due to how the atmospheric music enhanced the plot. It didn't hurt that Irene Jacob is one fucking gorgeous woman.
At any rate, the 23 tracks on the album form a very inclusive package of the movie's music. The best tracks are:
1. OPENING TITLES
As the title implies, this music plays over the film's main titles. It is composed of an eerie blend of strings and keys that sets the tone perfectly for the mystery to come.
2. TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Louder, and more vibrant without being bombastic, this track plays over the scenes of Harry Donovan arriving in Europe to begin his prep work for the forgery. A blend of strings, horns, and orchestral tones, this track is magnificent.
4. THE CREATION
This track is more or less a softer version of TRICKS OF THE TRADE, and plays over the scene where Harry finally cracks the method he needs to forge the painting: using his father's face as a model. What's great about INCOGNITO's score is how tracks sort of mirror one another. One is usually more soaring and brash, while the the other is quieter and more intimate. Composer John Ottman uses this "twinning" technique through the album.
16. TO CATCH A TRAIN
Obviously meant to evoke a Hitchcockian feel with that title (TO CATCH A THIEF, anyone?), this track is mainly strident strings that evoke a sense of danger and menace. Appropriately, it plays over the scene of Harry intercepting Marieke's departure for Venice - and basically kidnapping her. The music emphasizes the suspense and uncertainty of the scene, while retaining the trademark aloof elegance that runs throughout the album...
FINAL ANALYSIS: The score for INCOGNITO is a remarkable, unexpected musical journey for a thriller. It is a complex piece that is both baroque and modern at the same time. The movie it's attached to may ultimately stumble in its second and third acts - but the music for it never falters for a moment. As such, it practically saves the movie.
SCORE: ****1/2 out of *****
SAMPLES FROM YOUTUBE:
2. TRICKS OF THE TRADE
# 4 THE CREATION
Great, atmospheric music for a movie that could've foundered without it...
