Who could have predicted that the man who created Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear, director Frank Oz, would one day run across both Don Corleones?
In "The Score," Oz's latest project, Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro team up with rising talent Ed Norton ("Fight Club," "Keeping the Faith"). The question remains, how could a director whose credits are dominated with comedies such as "What About Bob" conduct a straight-edged heist film? I'll tell you this much - the first rule of directing is don't ask about directing.
Nick Wells (De Niro) is a veteran robber who has hopes of retiring and running his partially owned jazz club in downtown Montreal. That is, until his benefactor and friend, Max Baron (Brando), flashes the golden ticket before his eyes - a $4 million job. Given the chance to make one final score and leave the business for good, Nick partners up with Jackie Teller (Norton), an aspiring young thief who has detailed knowledge of their target. Trouble arises on the home front when Nick has to tell his pseudo-girlfriend Diane (Angela Bassett) that he hasn't quit yet, but he'll go the straight, clean route "after this last one." (The same way smokers quit, too.)
The plain truth about this movie is that although it is entertaining, it was bred for a little disappointment from the start. For those in this world who do not have knowledge of the Brando-De Niro connection, here's an Idiot's Guide: Both played the Godfather, Vito Corleone, the man who could make you sleep with the fishes. Yes, he was around before Tony Soprano. Now, if you don't know who the Don was, stop reading, watch seven hours worth of movies (the third can be skipped), and continue reading.
Now you know why "The Score" was bred for disappointment - there are times when good things should just be left alone. Just like there should be no Jackson 5 reunion tour, for we all know what happened to Tito, these remnants of our film past should be left alone. Warner Brothers lucked out a few years back with the success of "Heat," which featured De Niro alongside "Godfather" co-star Al Pacino. But "Heat" was more a combination of two acting geniuses than a rehash of times past. Believe me, I'm a huge fan of "Godfather" references, and I looked forward to this reunion by Paramount. The fact remains that their history alone gives "The Score" its mediocre box office power during a summer when sales records are being broken more often than Sprint cell phone connections.
"The Score" does stand out, but not as a groundbreaking story with a tantalizing plot. A heist film inherently conforms to a formula like any science requires. But rather, it can be seen as an acting showcase and in some sense, a changing of the guards - a welcome departure from our new generation of actors. Don't think that De Niro doesn't have much more to show us. On the contrary, he's got much more, and now actors like Norton are learning how to take the reins.
"The Score" receives praise simply because these men have earned the power they have. Granted, not all entertainers are as good at what they do as the public makes them out to be (uh ... hum ... Britney Spears), but then again, you may go and see their performances for some other reason. If one cannot appreciate an upper tier of acting, then by all means, stay home. Rent "Tomcats" if you want.
Brando's performance, albeit talented, is too little in a film that rides his name for marketing purposes more than President Bush rode his horse on vacation. Though Brando has appeared in fewer than 10 movies in over a decade, he still makes a great presence.
The consensus is that the acting makes this movie, not the reunion of the Dons or the story itself. The simple fact remains: "The Score" is a showcase for fine acting in which one doesn't notice the two hours of run time and can accept a formulaic plot as an excuse to parade such talent. But hey, that's just my two cents. Spend them however you'd like.
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