- Director: Frank Oz
- AMG Rating:
- Genre: Crime
- Movie Type: Caper, Crime Thriller
- Themes: One Last Heist, Cons and Scams, Faltering Friendships
- Main Cast: Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Marlon Brando, Angela Bassett, Gary Farmer
- Release Year: 2001
- Country: US
- Run Time: 123 minutes
- MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Three generations of method acting giants unite for this crime thriller written by Kario Salem and directed by Frank Oz. Robert De Niro stars as Nick Wells, an aging thief whose specialty is safecracking and who is on the verge of retiring to a life of ease, running his jazz club and romancing his girlfriend Diane (Angela Bassett). But before he can ride off into the sunset, Nick is pressured to do one last job by his mentor and business partner, a flamboyant and extravagant upscale fence named Max (Marlon Brando). Max is plotting the heist of the Montreal Customs House, and he's got a man on the inside, Jackie Teller (Edward Norton), a talented but volatile crook who has managed to ingratiate himself with the facility's staff as a fellow employee suffering from cerebral palsy. Jackie bristles at Nick's interference in "his" score, however, and threatens violence when it seems he's going to be cut out of the action. In the meantime, Nick grows increasingly ill at ease about the operation, as it violates his two most important dictums in thievery: always work alone and never pull a job in your own city. The part of Max in The Score was written specifically for Brando by screenwriter Salem, although the improvisational star and his director Oz reportedly clashed during filming. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie GuideReview
The Score brings three generations of master actors together with fantastic results. Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, and Ed Norton take what amounts to a standard heist film and raise it well above the level of cops and robbers. De Niro acts with his eyes in a less-is-more-approach, giving his character, the seasoned thief Nick, the proper weight and experience to counter Norton's cock-sure youth and arrogance. Norton more than holds his own next to the two legends and further demonstrates that he is one of the best actors of his generation. Much was made of the off-camera antics of Brando, but when all is said and done, he gives his best showing since The Freshman. As Max, a gay fence who needs this one last score, Brando is both sarcastic and serious in the same breath, turning in the performance fans hoped he was still capable of. Angela Bassett is stuck with the girlfriend who issues the ultimatum, the job or me. It's unfortunate she is not given more to work with and instead is reduced to a shallow stereotype. Frank Oz (Bowfinger) makes the smart decision to let his incredible cast do what they do best -- act. For a film about a robbery, there is surprising little gunplay and not one car chase. Oz lets the story progress and the tension build without forcing his hand, creating more of a character piece than an action film. He also demonstrates an excellent eye for locations and shoots Montreal as lovingly as Woody Allen shoots New York. Although the story is one that has been told several times before, all involved refuse to allow the stale plot to drag them down with it. What's left is a smart film that can be enjoyed as a fun genre piece.~ Scott Engel, All Movie Guide
Cast
- Robert De Niro - Nick Wells
- Edward Norton - Jackie Teller/Brian
- Marlon Brando - Max
- Angela Bassett - Diane
- Gary Farmer - Burt
