(Movie) The Score directed by Frank Oz

The main attraction of this movie for me was of course the pairing of two of the biggest heavyweights in Hollywood – Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro, incidentally the only movie in which they have acted together (except Godfather where they played the same character). The fact that Edward Norton would be there just sweetened the ingredient (in fact Norton agreed to act in the movie only because of the same reason – to act alongside Brando and De Niro together!!!)

The story is interesting – De Niro is an ageing safecracker and master burglar aiming for one big score to finish off his career. Brando is his main contact who ‘arranges’ everything and who is also a lifelong friend. Enter Norton with a plan to rob a national treasure of France whose fetching price would be enough to make everyone happy. So the ageing burglar and the upstart plan the burglary together – one to finish off the game and other to make a name for himself in the crime world. And so we enter a thrilling world of conspiracy and crime-planning with all its elements of suspense and sudden turn of events. At the end,  a double game plays out which turns everything on its head, until at the end everyone get what they deserve…

The story is nice in itself and the plot interesting. However you would have expected much more of this movie which boasted an explosive duo whose very name is enough to watch the movie. Sadly, the movie rarely rises above itself and Brando especially seems wasted in his role. You miss the mystique he exuded in his Godfather role, though its unfair to compare the two movie, but still that's what you hope for…The finale though a twist was a tad clichéd and you do feel a sense of déjà vu.

But if you disregard high expectations and watch the movie just as a thriller, you wont be disappointed…it has enough to hold your attention, especially Norton’s menacing acting and De Niro’s suave handling of things..

Labels: Crime, movies, thriller

posted by Protik Basu @ 3:12 PM