Effortless

Rating: 9/10 (7 December 2000)

Steven Spielberg's effortless storytelling and filmmaking skills are an excellent reason to recommend this film. Spielberg has a knack for knowing how his audience wants to be treated and he calmly goes about setting up a variety of scares and thrills that do their things without fuss. There's a lot to admire in the tension-and-release techniques he employs and his smooth cutting sense (the editor is Verna Fields although Spielberg is in complete control) helps move the narrative along at a natty pace. His clever way of slowly introducing us to the monster (in this case a shark) is well thought-out and effective. John Williams' score is excellent, done at a time he was delivering his best work ("Star Wars", "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind") and before bombast became his standard. The cast includes Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss (at his hyperactive best) and Robert Shaw; everyone is clearly having a good time, knowing they're in the process of making a scary movie with a talented mastermind.