The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

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Nicholas Cage fans have been dying for a legendary performance like the ones in the good old days. Did he finally make it with his new starring role in A Score to Settle?

A Score to Settle follows ex-con, Frank Carver (Nicholas Cage), who is finally released from prison after serving 19 years for a crime committed by the mob boss he worked for. Having been promised that the sentence would only be a couple of years, and that his son – now all alone after the death of Carver’s wife – would be taken care of, in addition to receiving a sizeable amount of money; Carver had to give up so much. Out of prison, and ready to avenge himself, Carver has nothing to lose.

When you see this feature’s trailer or read the plot preview, what do you expect? Nicholas Cage angrily and violently killing a bunch of people who wronged him. And that is exactly what you get. The film may delay that, or add some context to it, but that is essentially what the film is all about.

The plot is pretty simple, with two main parts. The first follows Carver as he meets and bonds with his son Joey (Noah Le Gros), while the other traces the violent, murderous vengeance as it takes place. The problem is that the plot is flat. The whole film is very predictable from the start, except for one twist, which, of no consequences, does not change the audience’s expectations.

For the acting, Nicholas cage is much less neurotic than most of his previous roles, except for the end scene, and yes, his experienced performance is plausible and somewhat charismatic. Yet it does very little to save the feature from being completely forgettable. Noah Le Gros’s performance is adequate, but does not rise above mediocre.

Playing the closest mob member to Carver, Benjamin Bratt delivers a performance that is uninspired and underplayed, despite the actor’s proven skills. The feature also includes a supporting role by Egypt’s very own, Mohamed Karim, as one of the mobsters. His performance was fitting to his character, even if it was a little bit over the top at times.

A Score to Settle is nothing you haven’t seen before, except for watching an Egyptian actor in a Hollywood feature.