The Score [HD]

GOOD RATHER THAN GREAT BUT WELL WORTH WATCHING!!!
Aren't heist movies great? Warm and familiar like a comfy old armchair, they are one of the oldest and (if done well) most enjoyable film genres around. You can sit back at the movie theatre with your popcorn in one hand or at home in front of the TV with a beer, safe in the knowledge that some craggy, world weary old thief set on retirement will be persuaded to do one last job, with a rookie understudy whom he doesn't trust, on a job which you just know wont go as smoothly as planned.

The Score is no different in that respect in that it stars Robert De Niro as a craggy old world weary thief, persuaded to take on one last high risk job before retiring. Ed Norton plays the rookie understudy scamming his employers by posing as Brian, a man with a disability and learning difficulties. Of course Robert De Niro's character Nick, always works alone and doesn't trust anybody but he is persuaded by his camp bloated old fence, Max (Marlon Brando) to work with Jack (Ed Norton). You see Max...

What does `one last one' mean?
There's a fence, a weary veteran safecracker, and an eager outsider. There's a valuable whatsit in the Montreal Custom House that's guarded as if it were the crown jewels. It ain't quite that, but it is a many-centuries old scepter that's worth tens of millions of dollars. It's got `last big score' written all over it. The eager young one has an assistant janitor job at the Custom House and is in the perfect position to case the joint, get the schematics, cut the video feed, what have you.

Sound familiar? Save for a end game twist or two THE SCORE is pretty much the same heist movie you've seen time and again. It's a strong enough story that doesn't stray too far at all from the tried and true. What sets this movie apart is its cast. To say THE SCORE is actor rich is an understatement. Its three leads - Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, and Ed Norton - have all been hailed the greatest actors of their generation. Brando plays the fence, De Niro the old pro who...

The Score Scored Nicely
Hollywood heavyweights Robert DeNiro, Marlon Brando, and Edward Norton together with Angela Bassett deliver very nice performances in this beautifully shot, nicely edited, and well directed film.

The cinematography is beautiful and even without the cast, the visual elements alone -- the film noir lighting and atmosphere, the elegant and stylish set designs, the framing, and the editing -- make this a very enjoyable film.

Although some reviewers comment that DeNiro is on "autopilot" or that he and Norton "phone in their performance," this is not true at all. DeNiro delivers a very smooth and appropriately subtle character without going "over the top". Likewise, Norton also gives a very good performance.

Each character in each film should be viewed on its own merit. People who are disappointed because they don't see the "fireworks" of DeNiro in "The Deer Hunter" or Norton in "American History X", frankly, should go see...

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