Giving opinions for several years and showing like a fine vintage
Giving opinions for several years and showing like a fine vintage
Member since:11.07.2000
Reviews:625
Members who trust:55
A glance at the poster for the score and you instantly have something sold to you without even knowing what the film is about. The names De Niro, Norton and Brando as well as Angela Bassett should be enough to at least peak your interest. Not only that but it's directed by Yoda/Fozzy Bear himself Frank Oz!
Now these names along have already affected people's perceptions of the film. With a cast of great talent it seems that we should get one of the greatest films ever to grace the screen purely because of past acting performances. Well The Score isn't an amazing film but as entertainment it's certainly a cut above the rest.
De Niro plays Nick, a seasoned professional thief whose speciality is cracking safes with precision and close detail. He has everything planned down to the last detail and as a result has never been caught. By day he is the owner of a respectable Jazz club and has a foxy air stewardess girlfriend Diane. A life of crime isn't really attractive anymore and Nick decides to give it up for a life with Diane and the Jazz Club.
However his associate Max (Marlon Brando) offers him one last score worth a large amount of money. The target is a priceless antique sceptre but Nick must work with a young thief named Jack (Ed Norton) to pull off the job. What follows is a conflict of trust and respect as everything is planned down to the last detail with some twists along the way.
Director Frank Oz's previous films have all been comedies so The Score represents a definite change of style and it's one that Oz seems to have no problems with. The film is very well shot and paced throughout. The look of the film has a very noir style and a certain amount of class. Of course when you have this kind of talent in the cast then really you could just point and shoot and still get something decent.
On the acting front well you get what you'd expect. De Niro is good, this isn't Raging Bull or Taxi Driver but what you get is an assured character with the right amount of maturity and a degree of menace. Ed Norton is equal to him and at time amusing. In order to get the inside info on the building containing the sceptre he poses as a mentally challenged janitor and has everyone in the building fooled. Brando is well Brando, he doesn't really need to work anymore, he's made his money but he does good work here and brings a certain amount of humour to the role. Of course if rumour has it he was certainly troublesome on set. Angela Basset doesn't have much to do but she's one of those actresses that doesn't get a lot of great roles but really should as she's a class act all the way.
The film isn't action packed by Jerry Bruckheimer standards. The pacing unfolds slowly and you see the planning and verbal sparring however once the score get's underway there is some real tension as this elaborate plan unfolds even though you know something is bound to happen to make the plot twist. You know it's going to happen and it's no surprise when it does but you want to know who finally get's the upper hand.
So to wrap up this is a well-made film that will entertain. There's nothing original but most films aren't and this recognises this but get's a decent cast and decent script. If you're someone who can't handle a film that doesn't have crash, bang action throughout then wait for video but I for one enjoyed it.
One last thing on the pacing of the film and people who can't handle it. I watched this in a theatre where some members of the audience obviously couldn't handle the pacing and as a result where restless, whispered constantly and couldn't keep still. These people were adults and really should know better. As the saying goes if you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1997 - Drama - Director: Gillian Armstrong - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Cate Blanchett, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson, Richard Roxburgh
Sounds good, plus my sis loves Ed Norton so we'll probably be seeing it soon! Thanks - Jess x
flashpointz 10.10.2001 14:21
This is an excellent film and I'd recommend it to anyone. Very much a 70s feel to it. Not all the flashy special effects or the more razzmatazz movies of this type. But a good tuight script, excellent performances from Norton and De Niro - sadly Brando looking a bit 'out of it'. Good review and you are right that some people might find it slow, but that's all part of the movie. Its definately not a crash, bash, shoot em up, but an excellent 70s style 'heist' movie (much in the same vein, I thought, as the old Mission Impossible TV Series)
Mauri 10.10.2001 13:58
Interesting review, I've heard a lot of negative ops as well on this. With such a polarised set of views I guess I'll have to see this for myself. Cheers
In the heist thrillerThe Scoredirector Frank Oz partners Robert De Niro with hotshot ... more
upstart Edward Norton and heavyweight legend Marlon Brando. De Niro plays a weary thief tempted by wily old associate Brando into, yes, one last job--a plan to steal a...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Nick Wells (Robert De Niro) a professional criminal decides to leave the business for ... more
good since he nearly got caught on his last job. His plan is to live in peace with his girl Diane (Angela Bassett) running his Montreal jazz club NYC. Soon Max (M...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
![The Score [DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78202663.jpg "The Score [DVD] [2001]")
![The Score [DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78534075.jpg "The Score [DVD] [2001]")
Oct 10th, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
