THE SCORE

2001

Marlon Brando, Robert Deniro and Edward Norton in the same film. How can you NOT go see it? Deniro is an aging burglar who is roped into doing one last job with Brando and Norton. Norton as the young hothead and Deniro as the crafty old veteran don't see everything eye to eye, however, and in the end you know someone is going to lose. Once again the three previously mentioned are all excellent and I wouldn't be surprised to see Brando get a best supporting actor nom for this. Well-paced and thoughtful, the plot had enough twists and turns to keep me glued to my seat. This is much more than your run-of-the-mill summer action flick. Besides, you gotta love any movie that could basically serve as a how-to for young, aspiring criminals.

4 Stars

CDF

If you're looking for a good reason to see what might appear to you to be just another "let's-plan-a-robbery" film, I can give you two good ones. First, it's a VERY GOOD heist film. Although it does tend to bog down a bit during the expository and planning phase of the robbery, the actual heist will keep you on the edge of your seat. Second, it's a rare opportunity to see America's three greatest actors (Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, and Edward Norton) perform together for the first, and probably the last, time. Each actor represents the elite of his generation, and it's wonderful to watch their scenes together. Although Brando and De Niro are excellent in creating their characters, Norton steals the film with yet another one of his insightful on-the-edge interpretations. Angela Bassett is there as eye candy; she has very little to do and she does that well! Filming in Montreal gives the movie an unusual, not-often-seen, exotic quality. If you've seen the movie "Sexy Beast" you'll see some striking similarities in both films. They're both worth seeing.

4 Stars

NJB