Of those movies that belong to a clearly defined category, the ones that stand out often display a high quality and craftsmanship not only in aspects relevant to their own genre, but also in aspects that are important to all movies.
`The Score' is clearly one such movie. It follows Nick (De Niro), a night club owner by day and safe cracker by night who is persuaded by his business partner (Brando) to execute one last big coup before finally retiring. He maintains his uneasy decision, even tough it forces him to contradict his own principles, to work with a young hot shot (Norton) whom he doesn't know nor trust and to face an increasing number of complications as he comes closer to reaching his objective.
As an unmistakable `heist movie', The Score' showcases technically ingenious ways to overcome the obstacles that safeguard the prize coveted by our protagonists. That alone, though, would not be sufficient to raise it above the level of other movies with similar themes. What distinguishes `The Score' is the superb realization of the movie on a number of levels: the cinematography, which for example in the first part of the movie features a number of scenes against gates, portals and doors, as if to portend what the protagonist must face before getting his trophy; the dialogue, which most of the time flowed quite naturally even if a character said something unexpected; the acting, especially by De Niro and by Norton, who was quite credible as a thief impersonating a mentally handicapped janitorial assistant; the simple but effective story line; and the three dimensionality of the characters, who as criminals not beyond trying to trick each other nevertheless retain a high degree of likability.
To be sure, there are a few technical flaws that were essentially ignored. For example, none of the main characters seem to consider that the meeting in the park to purchase the security codes might just be a setup; or that the same `laws of physics' that eventually force the Main Safe door open would have likely crushed or at least deformed the scepter and the container it was in. These are likely no great concern to most viewers, nor do they need to be, as the rest of the plot, particularly with its punch at the end that illustrates the tagline more than makes up for them.
On a final note, this film is proof that movies prominently featuring criminals in their professional activities do not need a high body count to be suspenseful and exciting to an adult audience.
`The Score' is clearly one such movie. It follows Nick (De Niro), a night club owner by day and safe cracker by night who is persuaded by his business partner (Brando) to execute one last big coup before finally retiring. He maintains his uneasy decision, even tough it forces him to contradict his own principles, to work with a young hot shot (Norton) whom he doesn't know nor trust and to face an increasing number of complications as he comes closer to reaching his objective.
As an unmistakable `heist movie', The Score' showcases technically ingenious ways to overcome the obstacles that safeguard the prize coveted by our protagonists. That alone, though, would not be sufficient to raise it above the level of other movies with similar themes. What distinguishes `The Score' is the superb realization of the movie on a number of levels: the cinematography, which for example in the first part of the movie features a number of scenes against gates, portals and doors, as if to portend what the protagonist must face before getting his trophy; the dialogue, which most of the time flowed quite naturally even if a character said something unexpected; the acting, especially by De Niro and by Norton, who was quite credible as a thief impersonating a mentally handicapped janitorial assistant; the simple but effective story line; and the three dimensionality of the characters, who as criminals not beyond trying to trick each other nevertheless retain a high degree of likability.
To be sure, there are a few technical flaws that were essentially ignored. For example, none of the main characters seem to consider that the meeting in the park to purchase the security codes might just be a setup; or that the same `laws of physics' that eventually force the Main Safe door open would have likely crushed or at least deformed the scepter and the container it was in. These are likely no great concern to most viewers, nor do they need to be, as the rest of the plot, particularly with its punch at the end that illustrates the tagline more than makes up for them.
On a final note, this film is proof that movies prominently featuring criminals in their professional activities do not need a high body count to be suspenseful and exciting to an adult audience.