 |
 |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Confident direction guides heistReview: Acting makes for a top 'Score'
By Paul Tatara (CNN) -- "The Score" is director Frank Oz's first dramatic feature - after years of whipping up commercial comedies like "Little Shop of Horrors" and "In and Out" - so it comes as something of a surprise that he's never seemed so sure of himself. This is a good old-fashioned heist picture that emphasizes meticulous pacing and character development over optical effects and speed-freak editing techniques. Now, Oz is no dummy. You don't have to get fancy when your movie features Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, and a hefty scene stealer named Marlon Brando. It's best to just sit back and let them do their thing ... and pray that Brando doesn't sink the entire project with his oddball antics. De Niro plays Nick, a Montreal-based professional thief who, in the time-honored tradition of this type of movie, is looking to make one final score before he permanently settles down. He also runs a successful jazz club, and would like to walk the straight-and-narrow for the sake of his long suffering girlfriend, Diane (Angela Bassett, who's utterly wasted in her empty role).
One day, Nick's fence, Max (Brando), proposes a job that might do the trick. Deep in the basement of the Montreal customs house, there's a 17th century French scepter that's worth millions of dollars. If Nick can break into the high-security building and grab the goods, he'll be able to hang out at his club listening to Mose Allison and Cassandra Wilson (both of whom provide live performances in the picture) for the rest of his life. Breaking rulesUnfortunately, there's a catch. To pull off the job, Nick has to break two of his cardinal rules: never steal anything in the city where you live, and never work with a partner. Max explains that an up-and-comer named Jack (Norton) has been scoping out the customs house for several weeks. Jack, posing as a mentally challenged janitor named Brian, has been charting the security systems that protect the scepter. The guards love the fidgety, simple-minded Brian, so he gets to wander around the building at will. But even Jack's extensive knowledge of the layout doesn't assure that everything will go smoothly. If it did, there wouldn't be any movie. Technically speaking, there's not much movie anyway, but it really doesn't matter. Until the lengthy final sequence, there's a strange lack of tension. No one is ever suspects the crew of anything. The cops aren't breathing down their necks, and any possible glitches in the process are basically mentioned in passing. Oz and his screenwriters (Kario Salem, Lem Dobbs, and Scott Marshall Smith) are interested in the details. His steady camera movements draw you into the story, rather than slamming information into your head. Nick and Jack have to maintain their cool in order to do their work. They each have a role to play, and they perform their tasks as calmly as possible. The fun comes from a prickly war of wills between the Old Pro and the Cocky Kid. (If you haven't noticed by now, crime movie cliche fans will not be disappointed.) Good interplay
De Niro and Norton play off of each other beautifully. For the first time in a while, De Niro isn't expected to blow his stack every five minutes. You can sense the urgency in what Nick is doing, but he seldom allows anyone to see how intensely focused he is. He knows what steps have to be taken to perform his duties, and he's determined to take them gracefully. Norton's blunt acting style supplies the possible recklessness. Jack only wants respect from his older, more experienced partner. You can see that he bristles when he's told what to do, a trait that eventually has consequences. And then there's Brando. It's no industry secret that this guy has spent the past 30 years doing everything he can to drive filmmakers -- and audience members -- up the wall. (Perhaps the most memorable instance is when he wanted to wear a dolphin suit while playing the title character in "The Island of Dr. Moreau.") But his casual work in "The Score" is nothing less than charming. Max is a fey, terminally amused type who likes to poke fun at everyone in his orbit; he seems to be chuckling even when he isn't. Brando works props like a master, and his immense girth never interferes with the character the way it did when he was expected to be a romantic lead in "Don Juan DeMarco." The Academy should give him another Oscar, then enjoy the free publicity when he strategically desecrates their olive branch. Maybe he could send an endangered whale to accept the award. There's a quick moment of violence in "The Score," and the usual grab-bag of profanity. Note that De Niro still accentuates his toughness by refusing to speak with contractions. God only knows why it works, but it does. Rated R. |
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back to the top | |
© 2003 Cable News Network LP, LLLP.
A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us. |
