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It would have been hard for me not to like this movie. Not only is it a crime caper directed by the multi-talented Frank Oz (the voice behind Yoda in the Star Wars series) and featuring two of my favourite actors – Robert De Niro and Edward Norton, but the story actually takes place in my city of birth: Montréal. While a lot of movies are now shot in Montréal (over $800 Million in productions in 2000), few actually base their stories in this historic city. Even worse, some movies supposedly base their story in Montréal, but get so many details wrong that it's just annoying (e.g. The Whole Nine Yards). But such is not the case with The Score. The movie tells the story of Nick Wells (De Niro), a professional and highly successful international thief who wants to pull one last job so that he can retire (it's the cliché of clichés, but it's easily forgiven), settle down with his girlfriend (Bassett) and focus on running his legitimate business: a Montréal Jazz Club. The last job in question is the theft of a priceless scepter, which is being held in a safe in the Customs. For this, Nick relunctantly joins forces with Jackie (Norton) in a partnership arranged by Nick's longtime friend and fence, Max (Brando).
What I probably liked best about this movie is the pace of the story. Director Frank Oz (The Dark Crystal, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, What About Bob?) chose a slower pace than we are sometimes accustomed to for crime movies, but since the whole movie is just about the one theft, there is no need to rush into it. Most of the story is about the preparation for this heist, as well as a lot of character development. Although the pace might be slow, the suspense is intense once it starts. Since the scepter will be moved soon, Nick and Jackie need to act fast. However, Oz keeps us on the edge of our seats by making us guess what will happen next.
Another strong point for The Score is the performances of the cast, although this shouldn't surprise anyone since the principal male actors have been typecast in their "usual" roles: De Niro as the mastermind criminal, Norton as the man with dual roles, and Brando as a crime boss. The only person that hasn't been typecast is Bassett, who has a smaller role than usual. By the way, it's interesting to note that this is the first time De Niro and Brando have played together, even though they both played the Vito Corleone character in the Godfather series. Robert De Niro (Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull) delivers his "standard" performance as Nick Wells (which means that he's very good), but it's not as if this role required him to strech his acting muscle. However, his character is interesting and well-defined.
Edward Norton (Fight Club, American History X, Primal Fear) delivers the strongest performance of all, both as Jackie Teller, the young criminal and as Brian, the mentally-challenged janitor (pardon me if this is not the most politically correct term). Norton really has a knack for playing characters with multiple personalities (such as in Primal Fear and Fight Club). Both of his characters are interesting: Brian is endearing and loveable and Jackie is determined, strong-headed and reckless. I was glad to see Marlon Brando (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, On the Waterfront) again, but it would have been nice if his character had a little bit more importance than it does. Then again, Brando seems to have a really hard time moving around the set, and that might have been too much to ask of him.
Another character that could have used a little more screen time is Diane, played by Angela Bassett (Boyz N the Hood, Malcolm X, What's Love Got to Do with It). It seems as if her character has only one purpose: to show that Nick is a criminal with a good heart. Most of the supporting cast does a good job, among which we find French-Canadian actor Martin Drainville (who played the title role in Louis 19, le roi des ondes, the original movie behind Edtv) in a small role as one the employees of the Jazz club. The Score also does a great job of showcasing Montréal's scenery and culture. Most of the movie takes place in the Vieux-Montréal (Old Montreal) district and if you ever come visit the city, this is one spot you don't want to miss. I was also happy that the filmmakers deciced to include a lot of French language in the story, whether it's the main characters (De Niro and Brando do a terrific job), the extras or the surrounding environment (such as programs on television). Unfortunately, there is one scene that disapointed me, because two French-Canadian characters talked to each other in English. It would have made more sense to have them speak to each other in French with sub-titles.
The last reservation I have against the movie is that although the writers have gone to great lengths to bring plot-twisting elements throughout the story, the end is too predictable. I would have preferred something a little bit more refined. Since The Score is mostly a "formula" movie, I doubt that it will stand the test of time. However, it does stand out from the other movies playing at this time and most people should enjoy it. Reviewed on July 15, 2001 |
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This page was last updated on: Sunday, 21-Mar-2004 16:23:55 CST © 1998-2004 Luc-Rock Paquin. All Rights Reserved. All movie images © by their respective owners. Used with permission. Before "borrowing" something from my site, please ask me. "Reel Canadian Movie Critic" logo by FranclyGraphic.com. 
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