Want proof that great acting can rise above the quality of a script? Look no further than "The Score". This film, which features a pedestrian screenplay riddled with predictable movie cliches, is still fun to watch . .. but mostly because of its stars. Edward Norton, Robert DeNiro, and Marlon Brando take this dead-on-arrival film and turn it into something decent. It won't be nominated for any awards, but "The Score" manages to succeed where so many other supposed 2001 summer blockbusters have failed -- "The Score" is entertaining.
"The Score" is about an accomplished thief named Nick (Robert DeNiro), who's looking to leave his life of crime and wants to go straight. His fence -- and friend -- Max (Marlon Brando) gives Nick an opportunity to commit one last score -- steal a $30 million dollar scepter from a heavily guarded vault in Montreal. With his take from this job, Nick would be able to retire and live in peace with his girlfriend Diane (Angela Bassett) . . . but there's a catch. (What a surprise, huh?) In order to steal the scepter, Nick must work with the cocky young thief Jack (Edward Norton), who is the only person who can provide Nick with access to the vault. Nick, who normally works alone, is forced to put his trust in Jack -- and Jack isn't exactly the most trustworthy of souls . . . .
"The Score" is one of the most conventional movies ever written. The second that Nick announces to Max that he'll be retiring after this one last job that he'll be going straight from now on the floodgates of movie cliches are thrown wide open. (A movie about a criminal's last job? WOW! Hey, that's never been done before . . . yes, these words are dripping with the proverbial sarcasm.) An older man saddled with a younger partner, tense sequences involving digital countdowns . . . the elements of the film are nothing new. Even the `surprises' and `plot twists' in the film come across as stale, simply because they've been used verbatim in dozens of other thrillers and action films. The only genuine surprise might be the ending, just because the film is wrapped up with such surprising speed. After watching `The Score', you might find yourself scratching your head and wondering, `Gee . . . is that all?'
Despite its banal nature, though, `The Score' still manages to entertain, if only because its cast and its director lend their best efforts towards giving life to this tired material. Director Frank Oz takes `The Score' in a direction rarely seen in modern film thrillers instead of jacking up the testosterone and the volume of the film, and turning the film into an orgy of quick camera cuts and bizarre camera angles, Oz instead lets `The Score' move along at a leisurely, unhurried pace. Moving at the slower pace lets some smaller moments unfold (watch the background for the way certain characters float in and out of a scene) it's refreshing to see scenes build at a gradual pace instead of having them jammed whole down the throat. Certainly, not every thriller or action film should have this laid-back approach, but it's a genuine pleasure to see every once in a while. Under Oz's careful, calm direction, watching `The Score' becomes like sipping at a glass of favorite wine the taste is very familiar, but it's excellent nonetheless.
The flavor of this `wine', though, comes from Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, and Edward Norton . . . and they're outstanding. Marlon Brando is only featured in a few scenes in this film, but he manages to steal every one that he's in. Considering that he's usually on screen with either DeNiro, Norton, or both, that's no small task. If anything, I found myself marveling at Brando, and wondering why the man doesn't do more films he's still so talented, it's almost obscene. DeNiro and Norton both do a great job with their respective roles as well. They both give their characters little nuances and subtleties that make even the most innocuous scenes stand out. In evaluating performances, I usually ask myself, `Could other actors have played that part as well? Or played it better?' Well, with `The Score', I think there's only one or two in Hollywood who could've played the parts of Max and Jack as well as DeNiro and Norton . . . and there's no one who could've played them better. `The Score' is a out-and-out clinic on outstanding acting, and for that alone it's worth watching.
`The Score' isn't a great film, but it does contain some great performances, and it's presented in an unusual enough manner to provide some genuine entertainment. Just don't be surprised if this trite, worn-out story seems familiar. Grade: B-
"The Score" is about an accomplished thief named Nick (Robert DeNiro), who's looking to leave his life of crime and wants to go straight. His fence -- and friend -- Max (Marlon Brando) gives Nick an opportunity to commit one last score -- steal a $30 million dollar scepter from a heavily guarded vault in Montreal. With his take from this job, Nick would be able to retire and live in peace with his girlfriend Diane (Angela Bassett) . . . but there's a catch. (What a surprise, huh?) In order to steal the scepter, Nick must work with the cocky young thief Jack (Edward Norton), who is the only person who can provide Nick with access to the vault. Nick, who normally works alone, is forced to put his trust in Jack -- and Jack isn't exactly the most trustworthy of souls . . . .
"The Score" is one of the most conventional movies ever written. The second that Nick announces to Max that he'll be retiring after this one last job that he'll be going straight from now on the floodgates of movie cliches are thrown wide open. (A movie about a criminal's last job? WOW! Hey, that's never been done before . . . yes, these words are dripping with the proverbial sarcasm.) An older man saddled with a younger partner, tense sequences involving digital countdowns . . . the elements of the film are nothing new. Even the `surprises' and `plot twists' in the film come across as stale, simply because they've been used verbatim in dozens of other thrillers and action films. The only genuine surprise might be the ending, just because the film is wrapped up with such surprising speed. After watching `The Score', you might find yourself scratching your head and wondering, `Gee . . . is that all?'
Despite its banal nature, though, `The Score' still manages to entertain, if only because its cast and its director lend their best efforts towards giving life to this tired material. Director Frank Oz takes `The Score' in a direction rarely seen in modern film thrillers instead of jacking up the testosterone and the volume of the film, and turning the film into an orgy of quick camera cuts and bizarre camera angles, Oz instead lets `The Score' move along at a leisurely, unhurried pace. Moving at the slower pace lets some smaller moments unfold (watch the background for the way certain characters float in and out of a scene) it's refreshing to see scenes build at a gradual pace instead of having them jammed whole down the throat. Certainly, not every thriller or action film should have this laid-back approach, but it's a genuine pleasure to see every once in a while. Under Oz's careful, calm direction, watching `The Score' becomes like sipping at a glass of favorite wine the taste is very familiar, but it's excellent nonetheless.
The flavor of this `wine', though, comes from Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, and Edward Norton . . . and they're outstanding. Marlon Brando is only featured in a few scenes in this film, but he manages to steal every one that he's in. Considering that he's usually on screen with either DeNiro, Norton, or both, that's no small task. If anything, I found myself marveling at Brando, and wondering why the man doesn't do more films he's still so talented, it's almost obscene. DeNiro and Norton both do a great job with their respective roles as well. They both give their characters little nuances and subtleties that make even the most innocuous scenes stand out. In evaluating performances, I usually ask myself, `Could other actors have played that part as well? Or played it better?' Well, with `The Score', I think there's only one or two in Hollywood who could've played the parts of Max and Jack as well as DeNiro and Norton . . . and there's no one who could've played them better. `The Score' is a out-and-out clinic on outstanding acting, and for that alone it's worth watching.
`The Score' isn't a great film, but it does contain some great performances, and it's presented in an unusual enough manner to provide some genuine entertainment. Just don't be surprised if this trite, worn-out story seems familiar. Grade: B-