The Score

Rating:
Summary: Sedate Is Diplomatic
Review: From the opening sequence of introductory credits that frustrate by allowing a glimpse of the film and repeated fade to black with more credits, to the elevator music soundtrack, this film will not keep you on the edge of your seat. Marlon Brando is a legend, however in this film he is a massively overweight man who seems to work for the breath to speak. He is an amazing screen presence, however seeing him physically encumbered is sad. Robert Deniro and Angela Bassett are good, but the actress is barely in this film. Edward Norton takes the attention from the senior members of this cast with an amazing performance that while not as slick as Kevin Spacey's, "Herbal Kint", character of, "The Usual Suspects", cast, he proves once again he is an amazing actor with a long future ahead.

The theft itself suffers as the rest of the movie from being drawn out with detail that is tedious. Deniro's character has been in the business for decades, he is a thief of the old school. Unfortunately his style as a thief is just as old, as he clanks around with enough metal to summit Everest.

There is also a part played by a man whose appearance suggests that not only is cloning possible, but in fact has been done, and Albert Einstein is alive and well and living/acting in Montreal. Cloning only replicates the physical, so dear old Albert is simply a janitor is this incarnation.

Frank Oz, a wonderfully gifted man who is the voice of Yoda of Star Wars fame, and the voice of many Muppets created by the late Jim Henson, and a very decent director, brought viewers the film. Had he picked up the pace a bit this theme which has been churned out countless times would have been a stylish entry in the genre. His eye is great he just needs a good watch.

The only factor that makes this film worth seeing, which needs to shed about 20 minutes of the two hours it now carries, is the talent. If you have to sit through a film that takes toooooooooo much time, it is made tolerable and almost enjoyable by great actors. And compared to much of what has, and will be offered this Summer, it almost glows by comparison.

Rating:
Summary: WHOEVER SAYS THIS MOVIE ISN'T GOOD, HASN'T SEEN IT YET
Review: I'm not going to tire you with a summary of what this movie is about. I will say this though... SEE THIS MOVIE VERY SOON. Well worth my [price], "The Score" had me chewing my nails like a maniac. Robert DeNiro was, as always, magnificient. And I just can't say enough good things about Edward Norton. Norton is definitely one of the GREATEST YOUNG ACTORS OF OUR TIME. Great screenplay and incredible direction from Frank Oz. ....

Rating:
Summary: Norton oh Norton you steaming flat gorcon
Review: Well well. I'm finally writing a review Rino. I think it's a good idea, and what better movie to do than one I know you're going to be writing as well.

First of all, I very impulsively saw this movie. I had no real plans to see it. It was not something I avidly waited to be released. In fact I made fun of it numerous times. It was either "Made", basically the sequal to Swingers, or this. I picked "The Score." And it was pretty much just what I expected. Some good parts. Some bad parts.

Norton was the best part of the movie to me. But first the bad. Brando I thought was mediocre and just pathetic looking. I wish they'd gotten another actor. He was more distracting than anything. Sad, really to see so great a man reduced to what I saw on screen. Deniro was, well Deniro. Ostensibly good as always, but nothing to rave about. I wonder how many moives he does a year? I bet it rivals Samuel L. Jackson. And the best part? Norton. He was a joy to watch for me. His acting is so effortless and reeks of realism. I also found the "retard schtick" very amusing. He has a real prescence for such an unassuming looking fellow.

The movie was shot well enough, aptly done. Good cinematography. There were some good scenes. The opening scene with Deniro and the pot head chick was nice (a good intro that the rest of the movie didn't really live up to), the scene where Norton does a voice over explaining the layout of the place they're about to rob while he plays the retard was good, and the drop off scene in the park with the security company dork was nicely done. Funny and good tension. Simple. The end though, the end wasn't terrible, just sort of...standard. But then I guess it's hard to come up with a really inventive take on a robbery. Again not terrible, but not really engaging either. The twist at the end was not very surprising, but nice nonetheless.

And I don't know why Angela Basset was in this movie, other than the fact that Deniro only ... Black chicks and wanted to express this for once in one of his movies.

All in all, when all is said and done, when all the ten year old boys are purchased and raped, I give it a B-.

Rating:
Summary: It Scores
Review: Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, and Marlon Brando. Without saying another word about this film it is worth seeing just because these three actors share screen time. Having said that, this movie is also worth seeing because it is a really good picture.

De Niro plays Nick, a smart, by the books safe cracker, who never takes risks, and always delivers the goods. However, Nick has decided that he wants to get out and retire to run his night club and settle down with his girlfriend. Which would be fine except his long time partner, Max, played by Brando, has come across one last job that is too good to pass on. The catch is he must work with a partner, Jack(Norton), and he must do it in his home city of Montreal. These are two things he never does. The situation does not improve when his accomplice approaches him on the street, which Nick finds unprofessional.

What makes this movie so entertaining is the way in which it is presented. Everything in the movie is about designing the score, building the suspence to when they make their move. The attention to detail, rather than having silly subplots, is a credit to the script and to director Frank Oz. And the cast is perfect. The great thing about having great actors in a film like this is that they did not try to do too much. De Niro, was cool and calculating. His portayal of the aging theif was just what it needed to be. It really seemed like he was just ready to quit, but then not quite. Norton contrasted De Niro's old pro with the energy of a young man eagar to make a name for himself and prove his worth. He was cocky and arrogant but also intellegent.

The real scene stealer was Brando though. His role is not very large, but it is essential to the story. His character is another contrast to De Niro's Nick and Norton's Jack. He is the man who sells the goods and it is hard to imagine that in the real world these types of people would be much different than Brando's lively, eccentric Max. The performance is another reminder that Brando, even at 76, can hold an audiences' attention like no other actor.

This movie is a throw back to the old heist pictures and a good one at that. It features three of the best actors there are in an intralling, suspenceful story. What more could we ask for?This is definately a score.

Rating:
Summary: Vito Corleone's everywhere
Review: Great performances by DeNiro and Norton are almost lost when scene stealer Brando has his short scenes. Looking enormous with a tiny head, Marlon looks ready to be stuffed on a wall. But, his performance seems more carefree and loose than anyone else's in the film. DeNiro has played this role before and well and Norton performs well enough that he is not lost amongst the two giants. The Director Frank Oz, shows a new side with this film. Using lots of shadows and grit is new for his work. But, his use of focus is a positive element he has brought forth from his previous films... Surprisingly light on plot (these things are usually plotty), the first hour of the film shows our criminals setting up the final heist. A good film overall, but, barely a blip on the year and quite forgetable on the resumes of DeNiro and Brando.

Rating:
Summary: The Score
Review: cinimatically gorgeous, good acting but highly predictable. No surprise ending here.

Rating:
Summary: de niro does it again
Review: Robert De Niro is without a doubt the greatest actor in the world. He makes the movie as thrilling as the movie Heat. I highly recommend that YOU watch The Score.

Rating:
Summary: Good solid heist film
Review: When watching this film you can't help but think about the missed opportunities. A movie with De Niro, Norton and Brando should have been great, like something never before seen. In that sense, The Score is a letdown, though if you're a fan of these great actors, you'll still have a good time watching it (be warned though - Brando doesn't appear all that often and usually he's in some dim, shadowy environment...)

What I liked about The Score, other than the actors, is that it takes its time providing us with all the details of the heist. So many heist movies have stunts that seem entirely implausible; they don't explain much to the viewer and just count on the fact that we won't think too deeply about what's going on. This one builds things slowly, while providing us with the tension and contrast between the characters - steady dependable De Niro and the hotshot, Ed Norton. Don't expect much violence; this movie is about people using their wits and trying to trip each other up. The ending is also deeply satisfying.

Rating:
Summary: The movie scores!
Review: A superb cast, a continuously surprising plot, and breathless action sequences mark "The Score" as a terrific heist thriller in the tradition of the caper genre. Director Frank Oz has created a movie that deals out its suspense in spades, supplying the intelligent story with an intensity that one-ups itself right up to the finale. This is one of those movies that requires your utmost attention to its many intricacies; if you're like me, you'll readily accept.

There's not much to talk about in terms of fresh ground: everything seen here has been done in one way or another in many other heist films. The story introduces us to Nick Wells (Robert De Niro), an expert in lifting valuable items who has had enough of the scoring business and wants out. But not before his partner in crime, Max __ (Marlon Brando), pulls out the old "one last job" cliché: this time, it involves sidestepping the high-tech security system of the Montreal Customhouse and lifting a precious scepter valued at thirty million dollars.

Nick is skeptical and hesitant about the job, especially after meeting Max's insider, Jack Teller (Edward Norton), whose ego tends to cloud his judgment once things get underway. Working as a night janitor under an assumed name and a mentally challenged demeanor, Jack supplies Nick with information vital to their success, from the location of surveillance cameras to the make and model of the safe that holds their goal. Meanwhile, on the outside, things begin to get murky, as Nick finds out the real reason for the heist, and Jack begins to lose sight of their plan.

To put it simply, this is an actor's movie, showcasing big-name talent in powerhouse ways. Take De Niro for instance, who starred in "15 Minutes" earlier this year as a New York City cop, and is now playing a criminal; two completely different characters, and yet he plays them as if they were one and the same. He may merely be playing De Niro, but he does it with a wit and presence all his own. Norton nails Jack to the wall, playing his egotistical attitude to sheer perfection while at the same time making us believe in Jack's knowledge of the facility's various areas. The film's other big-name stars, Brando and Angela Bassett, who plays Nick's girlfriend, make small appearances, but since so much of the central story focuses on De Niro and Norton's characters, it hardly matters.

The script, written by Kario Salem, Lem Dobbs and Scott Smith, is ingenious in the fact that it doesn't come off as an insult to the audience's intelligence. It's easily accessible to even the most clueless of moviegoers, allowing its logic to unfold in a manner that doesn't overload the mind. And with the exception of a few key points (why would a high-security facility allow access to its most vital areas to its janitors?), the plot comes through unscathed of logical pitfalls.

Anyone familiar with their heist and caper films will delight in pointing out the overused sequences and situations. The characters spend incredible amounts of time scoping the target, exchanging priceless lines of dialogue, gathering materials, all of which leads up to the big final act in which the actual heist will take place. But here's where "The Score" scores its points: it takes a well-known genre and whips it into shape with a heightened energy and intensity to match its smarts, building the suspense layer by layer as our characters get closer to attaining the scepter.

The third act of the film is the clincher, suspending us in time as we breathlessly await the outcome. In a certain way, we have to care for the characters, given the time and attention we have devoted to them as well as the story, which makes the film's final payoff a satisfying, if not totally original, conclusion. Looking past its reliance on familiarity, I think its safe to say that "The Score" is about three things: acting, energy, and smarts, and its meets these demands with supreme success.

Rating:
Summary: The Score
Review: This is one of De Niro's BETTER films of recent years.
He plays an aging career criminal thief vowing to quit after one last Score...He hooks up with Ed Norton and Marlon Brando to work out all the details..Ed Norton is superb in his portrayal as his sidekick who demands the respect of veteran thief, DeNiro. When DeNiro first meets him, he doesn't want to give him the time of day but quickly realizes how passionate he is about the Score they are about to take. DeNiro's character reminds me of the character he played in Heat...well disciplined and dedicated...Not a lot of violence in this one...but more dialogue...Still, this film is able to hold your attention till the very end and a very good ending it is...Great chemistry with these three actors...I liked it a lot.