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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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MVP of the Week
Link of the Week
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Past FLIX reviews

Tao of Steve
The Watcher
Bless The Child
Bait
Almost Famous
Remember...Titans
Meet the Parents
Girlfight
Pay It Forward
Blair Witch, II
...Bagger Vance
Men of Honor
Sixth Day
Unbreakable
Vertical Limit
What Women Want
Miss Congeniality
Traffic
The Family Man
Antitrust
Save The Last Dance
Thirteen Days
The Mummy Returns
Shrek
Pearl Harbor
Worst That Could Happen
Evolution

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