The Score

The Score seems to start off slow for some, but the film's speed is important for the movie. It shows how DeNiro's character lives his life and his life is essential to the plot. "One more" is what he has been saying for years, but this time he means it and will do whatever it takes to make sure nothing goes wrong. Edward Norton's character gives Bob the most grief because he isn't sure if Norton will fly straight. Norton's performance is doubly magnificent and anyone who hasn't seen this actor in action is missing out big time. Brando delivers about 5 scenes that are right on key and provides some comic relief that fits nicely. Overall a really good film that will leave audiences with their jaws on the floor.

Yes, it's a cliché script, but it's a good one. De Niro, Norton and Brando in a classic heist movie from 20 years ago. What do you want more? It's 2 hours of oldschool moviewatching. Not too deep, no psychology, just a plan to rob an artefact and everything that can go wrong with that. De Niro and Norton team up with Brando on the background doing his cottonball in mouth dialogues. The movie delivers what it promises.

Nick Wells is a patient, professional, old school thief who works alone. A narrow escape convinces him that it is time to pack it up and settle down with his casual girlfriend Diane. However his middleman Max comes to him with a big score worth millions each and begins to try and convince him to do it. Acting as a downside to the job is Jack Teller, the guy with the insider information who Nick must work with as partners on the job. Even as trust is built between the three men, little things begin to be revealed that could put the whole job at risk.

Very few films are excellent in every regard, some have great plots but low production values where others have multimillion budgets but awful stories. The Score is rightly sold on it's cast for it as little else to offer an audience other than that. The plot is overly familiar and, while not bad, certainly doesn't hold any great surprises for anyone who's seen any `one last job' movies before. The telling is a little slow but holds the attention pretty well, while the job itself is unspectacular but enjoyable.

What makes it worth watching over many other similar twisty heist movies is the cast, who manage to make the material seem better by their inclusion. None of them really have anything special to work with but they all do well and do professional jobs. Norton is probably the standout of the film as he plays several types of character and is good in them all. De Niro does a reasonable job without being flashy or looking like he's making too much of an effort. Brando is OK but now always seems to have a half smile on his face to suggest he isn't taking anything seriously. I don't understand why Bassett bothered to be involved as her part is very small and doesn't add very much to the film – maybe it was a bigger part in the script?

Overall this film is basically nothing new and can be seen in many different forms at video stores world-wide. The thing that helps lift this a little above the rest is not the plot but the talented cast that have been assembled to run it. I enjoyed it and think it is worth watching for that.

`The Score' is a fun, stylish return to the `Rififi,' `Topkapi' school of crime drama. The object of this particular heist is a 17th Century royal scepter from France that happens to be languishing in the basement of the Montreal customhouse just asking to be taken. One of the would-be takers is Nick Wells (Robert De Niro), a seasoned heister dreaming of the quiet life of retirement but compelled to do this one last job as a favor to Max (Marlon Brando), an old buddy in hock to some pretty dangerous mob figures. Completing the triangle is Jack Teller (Edward Norton), a brilliant but brash young criminal mastermind whose high-risk temperament is placed in direct counterpoint to Nick's cool, levelheaded demeanor.

Perhaps the most amazing triumph for director Frank Oz is his success at pulling together this impressive cast of stellar heavyweights who cut across three generations of movie acting. Of course, one might wish to see them in roles more demanding of their thespian talents, but we moviegoers will take these three superstars any way we can get them. And `The Score' is certainly very entertaining on its own terms. The technical elements involved in the planning of the heist are beautifully detailed from start to finish. And Oz generates genuinely nail-biting suspense in many sequences involving close quarters and close calls. In addition, the Montreal setting is novel and fresh and it is enhanced by some very impressive wide screen photography.

A film like `The Score' lives or dies based on the intricacy of its plotting and the expertise of its craft. In both cases, `The Score' excels as an outstanding example of this noble and time-honored genre. And watching these three acting giants doing their thing in a movie together is OUR well-earned reward.

A robber, Nick (Robert De Niro) wants to retire and marry his girlfriend (Angela Bassett). But a friend of his Max (Marlon Brando) convinces him to do one last job with young brash Jackie (Edward Norton). Naturally something goes wrong. Nothing new or inventive here but very well-done and engrossing. Also it's a pleasure to see three exceptional actors doing good work and enjoying themselves (especially Brando). Only complaint--Bassett (another great actor) is completely wasted. Worth catching. Also, it needs to be seen on a wide screen--director Frank Oz uses the whole screen inventively more than once.