Hey folks, Harry here and THE SCORE sounds fun. It doesn't seem like it's particularly great, but apparently the chemistry between the three leads is such that ya can't not like it. I have faith in Frank Oz... and just to see Ed Norton, DeNiro and Brando together in scenes... heh... I'd pay nighttime prices for that alone. Here ya go...
One of the only good things about the otherwise dismal The Score is the sheer joy it is to first see three of the greatest actors that have ever graced the screen all together for the first (and probably only) time. But that joy soon fades. I can't blame Norton or De Niro or Brando for wanting to work together, but couldn't they have picked a better film to be in? Why not David Mamet's upcoming Heist, which is very similar to The Score -- and better, too. De Niro could have easily played Hackman's role; Norton could have shined in Sam Rockwell's; Brando could have replaced De Vito!
Anyway, De Niro plays a thief working for Brando. Angela Bassett, in a wasted role, is De Niro's girlfriend who wants, but does not urge De Niro to quit his life of crime and work primarily in the jazz club he owns. But Brando owes some big guy quite a bit of dough, so De Niro feels obligated to do the job. Obligation and not having to worry about money for the rest of his life are the main reasons he decides to do it.
Norton gets in on the action, too -- and you're never quite sure if you can trust him. I'm not going to give any of that away, mainly because the end of the film is definitely its strongest point. All I'll say is, he works where they're doing the job, and all of his fellow employees think he's an innocent mentally challenged young man with a heart of gold named Brian. A very effective scene is when Danny, an employee and friend of Brian's, finds out that Brian is not really Brian, and that he's not really mentally challenged. Danny's heart shatters, and you can't help but feel sorry for the old man. As Norton later tells him, "You are a good man. I don't want to hurt you. But if you move or make any noise, I will."
The first hour of the film drags in too many spots, but the pace picks up near the end. I didn't like the film all that much, but everyone at the Avco seemed to love it. I think if a lesser known cast were in it, they wouldn't have loved it like they did. Sometimes when you see greats like De Niro, Brando and Norton, you think their films ARE good even if they're not. Maybe I'm wrong but if Sam Rockwell, Danny De Vito, and Hackman were in this instead of Heist, nobody would have cared or liked the film. I'm not saying those actors aren't any good I'm just saying, save Hackman maybe, they're not as popular as Norton, De Niro and Brando.
But The Score isn't a bad film. Despite the fact that no principle character is all that likable, the performances are all first-rate. The work isn't very challenging, though, and just about anybody could have played these characters. Howard Shore's score was a little annoying in some parts, too -- but overall, it wasn't bad. Frank Oz, a pretty good comedic director, does a decent job but I think he needs to stick to lighthearted comedies.
With that said, I'm sure the film will do very well when it opens. I mean, who wouldn't want to see these stars together?
--ELLISON
