The Score (2001)

An aging thief hopes to retire and live off his ill-gotten wealth when a young kid convinces him into doing one last heist.

Director:

Frank Oz

Writers:

Daniel E. Taylor (story), Kario Salem (story)

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Marlon Brando

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert De Niro	...	Nick
Edward Norton	...	Jack / Brian
Marlon Brando	...	Max
Angela Bassett	...	Diane
Gary Farmer	...	Burt
Paul Soles	...	Danny
Jamie Harrold	...	Steven
Serge Houde	...	Laurent
Jean-René Ouellet	...	André (as Jean Rene Ouellet)
Martin Drainville	...	Jean-Claude
Claude Despins	...	Albert
Richard Waugh	...	Sapperstein
Mark Camacho	...	Sapperstein's Cousin
Marie-Josée Colburn	...	Woman in Study (as Marie-Josee D'Amours)
Gavin Svensson	...	Man in Study

Storyline

Three generations of method acting giants unite for this crime thriller written by Kario Salem and directed by Frank Oz. Robert De Niro stars as Nick Wells, an aging thief whose specialty is safe-cracking and who is on the verge of retiring to a life of ease, running his jazz club and romancing his girlfriend Diane (Angela Bassett). But before he can ride off into the sunset, Nick is pressured to do one last job by his mentor and business partner, a flamboyant and extravagant upscale fence named Max (Marlon Brando). Max is plotting the heist of the Montreal Customs House, and he's got a man on the inside, Jackie Teller (Edward Norton), a talented but volatile crook who has managed to ingratiate himself with the facility's staff as a fellow employee suffering from cerebral palsy. Jackie bristles at Nick's interference in "his" score, however, and threatens violence when it seems he's going to be cut out of the action. In the meantime, Nick grows increasingly ill at ease about the ...

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Plot Keywords:

coffeeshop | confidence artist | hanging from the ceiling | infrared | cell phone | 

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Taglines:

There are no partners in crime

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first scene with Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro talking at a table was shot with De Niro on a tight schedule, giving the filmmakers only thirty minutes to set up the cameras and lighting.

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Goofs

When they are exploring the underground tunnel system, Jack reads the map and guides Nick through the network via hand-held radio. Radio transmissions can be intercepted/overheard, and relaying navigation instructions is inefficient. Why not just give a copy of the map to Nick?

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Quotes

Jackie Teller: [amazed at complexity of the new safe] I've never seen anything like that! What do you have in mind?
Nick Wells: [Unfazed] I don't know, but if somebody built it, somebody can unbuild it.

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Connections

Referenced in Spooks: Legitimate Targets (2003)

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Soundtracks

Dangerous Streets
Written and Performed by Dee Cernile
Courtesy of Beautiful Oblivion Entertainment

User Reviews

Modern Crime Movie Where Acting Takes Precedence Over Action

Excellent acting is the attraction in this low-key heist movie, which only gets into high gear in the last 30 minutes of the two hours, and features some nice twists. Otherwise, it's a bit talky with a few lulls.

However, I still found it interesting thanks to Edward Norton's superb acting. His character, "Jack Teller" was very intriguing. Robert De Niro, as "Nick Wells" also was good to watch. De Niro rarely is boring. The third major player here is the even-more famous Marlon Brando, who only is referred to as "Max." This certainly isn't one of his more appealing roles but then, how many did he play since the '60s anyway? He - like Norton and De Niro - always grabs your attention regardless of the role, too.

Set in Canada, there were great shots of Montreal in this film, and a sharp DVD picture to show off the city. For those looking for a lot of action, skip this, but for those who are more interested in great acting, check this movie out.

Details

Country:

Germany Canada USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

13 July 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Score

Filming Locations:

Kahnawake, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$68,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$19,018,807, 15 July 2001

Gross USA:

$71,107,711

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$114,252,154

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Mandalay Pictures, StudioCanal

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1