The Score (2001) Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Angela Bassett, Marlon Brando, Gary Farmer, Paul Soles. Music by Howard Shore. Screenplays by Kario Salem, Lem Dobbs, Scott Marshall Smith. Story by Daniel E. Taylor and Salem. Directed by Frank Oz. 123 minutes. Rated R, 3 stars (out of five stars)
Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly www.nuvo.net Archive reviews at http://reviews.imdb.com/ReviewsBy?Edward+Johnson-Ott To receive reviews by e-mail at no charge, send subscription requests to ejohnsonott@prodigy.net or e-mail ejohnsonott-subscribe@onelist.com with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.
For a film like "The Score," the names Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Angela Bassett and Marlon Brando are both an asset and a liability. On the plus side, such a stunning cast is a virtual guarantee that, at the very least, the acting in the film will be as good as it gets. The problem is that it's hard to look at that roster and not enter the theater with unrealistically high expectations.
So is "The Score" an instant classic offering some of the most powerful ensemble acting ever? No. The film is a sturdy production of a solid, if unremarkable, caper story. As far as the thespians, this is De Niro and Norton's show. Brando shares a few scenes with the boys, but his is merely a supporting role and Angela Bassett, poor Angela Bassett, barely appears at all. The filmmakers should be ashamed of themselves for hiring an actor of her caliber and wasting her time with a brief, trite part.
De Niro anchors the movie with a fine no-nonsense performance and Norton gets the opportunity to strut his stuff, playing two dynamic characters. De Niro and Norton make a compelling team, with Brando spicing up the proceedings as Max, a quirky fence and financier. The story begins as Max approaches his old friend Nick (De Niro), proposing the theft of a scepter worth many millions of dollars. The royal staff is secured in the Montreal Customs House, but Max has an inside man, Jack (Norton), ready to provide the specs necessary to pull off the robbery.
Nick doesn't want to participate. The caper violates two of his rules: never pull a heist on your home turf and never work with a partner. Besides, his dream is to retire from crime and run his elegant jazz club with Diane (Bassett), the love of his life, at his side, and she will not commit to him until he goes straight. But the temptation of instant financial security proves too strong and Nick agrees to do the proverbial "one last job."
"The Score" looks great. Montreal is a beautiful city with a European feel and director Frank Oz uses the setting well. He also affords Ed Norton another attention grabbing dual role. To scope out the Customs House and win the trust of its employees, Jack takes a janitorial job under the persona of Brian, a mentally retarded young man. Norton is smart enough to make Brian a distinct individual rather than a generic intellectually handicapped person – his Brian is a captivating guy. De Niro neatly counterbalances Norton's flash and fire. Watching him go through the mechanics of the heist held my attention even through the tedious parts because I felt invested in the down-to-earth character. Brando contributes some playful Sydney Greenstreet-meets-Truman Capote moments, and, in her very few minutes onscreen, Bassett adds smoke and substance to the thankless fretful girlfriend role.
I only wish the plot for "The Score" was as strong as its cast. While there's nothing overtly wrong with the story, there's also nothing fresh about it. One has to wonder what, besides the opportunity to work with each other, drew the four actors to such a pedestrian outing. Witnessing De Niro, Norton, Brando and Bassett act in this film is like watching Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa play softball. You're not sure why they're doing it, but you wouldn't miss the game for anything.
© 2001 Ed Johnson-Ott
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