The
Score
Paramount's
a Winner with
this
Action Thriller
 |
Frank
Oz ("Bowfinger," "The Adventures of Elmo in
Grouchland"), director of "The Score," brings us one
of the best action/adventure films this year. Robert DeNiro ("15
Minutes," "Meet the Parents") will have you rooting
for the bad guy in this film as he teams up with Edward Norton
("Keeping the Faith," "Fight Club"), and Marlon
Brando ("Free Money," "The Island of Dr. Moreau")
to bring home a priceless treasure worth tens of millions of dollars. |
DeNiro
plays Nick Wells, a venerable and experienced safe-cracker and
thief. Wells always works alone and far away from his home (Montreal,
Quebec). On Wells last theft, he almost accidentally gets nabbed
while working, and begins to feel maybe it is time for him to hang it
up and settle down with his fiancée, Diane, played by Angela
Basset ("Supernova," "50 Violins").
Marlon
Brando plays Max, a fat jolly who finds the buyers for all of Wells'
stolen goods. Wells tells Max he is ready to hang it up, when Max
asks Nick to do "just one more job." This job will be the
biggest pot of gold he ever had his hands on. Max asks Nick to not
only violate one, but two of his rules. The loot is located in
Montreal, and it will require the aid of a young mastermind thief
played by Edward Norton. Norton guarantees that he can have the
computer systems under control while Nick goes in, removes the loot,
and leaves.
Nick
eventually agrees to the job because of the potential payoff, and
vows that it will be his last one. The synopsis of the film will end here--otherwise
I will ruin the rest of it if you haven't seen it yet.
Frank
Oz brought this wonderful cast together, and let them work their
magic on the big screen. From the opening scene, you find yourself
rooting for Nick Wells as he is drilling through a safe to steal some
fine diamonds. The characters build easily from their own
interaction, and you are not left with any holes in the |

Rober
DeNiro is Nick Wells in Paramount's The
Score |
characters
themselves. Brando plays himself--a big, fat, rich guy who has lots
of underground buyers for the stolen goods, and Norton plays a cocky,
smart thief who is a relative newcomer to the business.
The
film is never boring, even during the dinner scenes with DeNiro and
Basset. You find yourself saying, "What is going to happen
next?" as each plot unfolds. Together the group jumps hurdles
and surpasses barriers that get in their way for the big prize, and
each actor brings out some of their best to get the story complete.
This film is a must-see if you like action and adventure. I will
actually say this film is worth the full price of the ticket, and I
am giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars. The film is rated R for language,
has little violence, and runs just about 2 hours.
Review
by David Fago
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