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Robert De Niro plays a weary thief tempted by wily old associate Marlon Brando into, yes,one last job, a plan to rob a priceless scepter from Montreal's Customs House. Director Frank Oz's heist thriller partners De Niro with hotshot upstart Edward Norton, and you'd have to be determinedly grumpy not to get half a kick out of Brando, DeNiro, and Norton--more than holding his own--coolly bouncing off one another in a Method paradise. Brando may be enormous and breathing heavily with every move, but his technique is as agile as it ever was; he still seems spontaneously clever. Oz doesn't have the most crackling visual style in the world, as the film is far too smooth for tension, and keeps tapping Howard Shore's music score to do most of the work in that department; the divine Angela Bassett is once again totally wasted in a 10-minute throwaway role as De Niro's girlfriend.The Scoreisn't anything new, and there isn't a single surprise, but if you're into this sort of thing you do respond to its polished familiarity.--Steve Wiecking
extremely entertaining and suspenseful Granted, there is a certain sense of deja vu that comes from watching "The Score". The De Niro character, Nick Wells, is extremely familiar, like a cross between the roles he played in "Midnight Run" and "Heat". And that's not to mention the whole idea of Nick getting sucked into doing 'one last heist' by his associate partner Max, played by none other than Marlon Brando.
Despite the fact that it's somewhat lacking in originality, "The Score" makes for a hell of an entertaining movie anyway. It's extremely suspenseful, thanks to the excellent pacing and a couple of engagingly clever twists in the story. De Niro is very much in his element in a role like this, and his performance is typically excellent, including the compelling interplay between him and Brando. Edward Norton does double duty--he does a masterful job of portraying Jack Teller, a younger, hotshot theif out to prove himself; and he also does an incredible job of portraying a mentally challenged janitor named Brian, used as an alter-ego to help Jack gain entry into the location where the heist will be talking place. You might expect there to be a ton of violence in a movie like this, but actually, there's not very much at all, and with the suspense level being so high anyway, the effect is refreshing.
Ultimately, "The Score" is top-notch entertainment that delivers the goods.
A "Heist" Film At Its Best While I'm not going to tout THE SCORE as an Oscar-worthy masterpiece, it is certainly one of the best "heist" films that I have seen in a long time. THE SCORE does everything right: it allows its incredibly talented acting performances to become the central focus of the movie and not the high-tech gadgetry that are the staple of cheaper thrillers. To be sure, THE SCORE is not without technology, but what makes this film "pop" is the fact that we are drawn into the plot by De Niro, Brando, and the absolutely fantastic performance of Norton. As in PRIMAL FEAR, Norton plays a split-role, doubling as both an overeager thief and a mentally-challenged night janitor (a role he adopts in order to gain access to the high-security facility). His performance is, as always, very impressive and certainly above-par for "heist" films.
While some have complained of the slow pacing, I did not find it slow at all. In fact, I enjoyed the slow build-up. The first time you watch this movie, you will be wondering to yourself: "How on earth are they going to get into that impenetrable safe?" It will keep you guessing right up until the very end. And just when you think you have a grip on the entire plot, it will twist on you. I love it when films do that to you and THE SCORE does it in spades. And the fact that the director has the patience to let the film build without going for cheap-thrills is a testament to his ability.
Once again, I'm not arguing that THE SCORE is the best movie I've seen lately. But it is very much an entertainig thriller that is worth a look. You will enjoy the action, the effects, and all of the usual things one finds in a "heist" film. But you will also be surprised by the good acting. I highly recommend it.Should have been called "The Snore" instead This movie starts out slooooowwwwww....and stays slow for at least an hour. They definetly did not need to make the movie as lengthy as they did. I think about an hours worth could have been left on the cutting room floor. But the acting was pretty good, and I liked the ending too. And there was definetly some good suspense that had me holding my breath. I just recommend keeping your finger on the FFWD button for those slow as molasses moments where there is no dialogue or real action anyways... just Robert Dinero walking around town, etc. I would recommend this if you have patience and aren't expecting a lot of action or special effects.
