by Jason AnkenyHoward Shore's cerebral, atmospheric score to David Fincher's enigmatic thriller The Game perfectly complements the taut suspense that unfolds onscreen, but what works so effectively within the context of the film tanks outside of it. Shore's deliberate pacing and deceptively simple piano melodies ratchet the cinematic tension with precision but, removed from the myriad twists and turns that galvanize Fincher's head-scratching narrative, the music suffers (as a result of its limited textural palette) and quickly grows tiresome. Equal parts success and failure, The Game generates suspense without release or catharsis -- a profoundly frustrating listening experience.