The Score even with the presence of Marlon Brando and Robert DeNiro is really an ordinary caper yarn elevated to a lot more than it is by the presence of these thespian icons. Still it's a pleasure to watch the two of them in scenes together.
In his farewell film Brando is now doing the part of criminal mastermind in the tradition of Sam Jaffe from The Asphalt Jungle. A young hotshot played by Edward Norton brings him the news of a jewel encrusted ancient medieval scepter from France that is now in the Montreal customs house. Norton is working there as a janitor as part of his undercover act and I have to say his imitation of a retarded man is really something.
Brando wants old pro DeNiro running the show, but he has to talk DeNiro into it. DeNiro and Norton grate on each other's nerves, it's a generational thing.
After that the film gets into nothing more than what we've seen in a lot of good films from The Asphalt Jungle to Topkapi to The Hot Rock. Of course it's in the hands of some of the best players around.
Marlon Brando didn't go out with something as good as the Shootist, but it was far from Cuban Rebel Girl. The Score is also the final of what I call his Christian Brando defense films. That horrific series of events that resulted in the imprisonment of a son and the death of a daughter drained him dry of resources. The films Brando did in the last decade were just to pay the lawyers. He traded in and successfully on the power of his name and talent. What father wouldn't have.
And who wouldn't have wanted to direct or act with him if given a chance.
In his farewell film Brando is now doing the part of criminal mastermind in the tradition of Sam Jaffe from The Asphalt Jungle. A young hotshot played by Edward Norton brings him the news of a jewel encrusted ancient medieval scepter from France that is now in the Montreal customs house. Norton is working there as a janitor as part of his undercover act and I have to say his imitation of a retarded man is really something.
Brando wants old pro DeNiro running the show, but he has to talk DeNiro into it. DeNiro and Norton grate on each other's nerves, it's a generational thing.
After that the film gets into nothing more than what we've seen in a lot of good films from The Asphalt Jungle to Topkapi to The Hot Rock. Of course it's in the hands of some of the best players around.
Marlon Brando didn't go out with something as good as the Shootist, but it was far from Cuban Rebel Girl. The Score is also the final of what I call his Christian Brando defense films. That horrific series of events that resulted in the imprisonment of a son and the death of a daughter drained him dry of resources. The films Brando did in the last decade were just to pay the lawyers. He traded in and successfully on the power of his name and talent. What father wouldn't have.
And who wouldn't have wanted to direct or act with him if given a chance.