 The
Score
Starring:
Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Marlon Brando and Angela Bassett
Directed
By: Frank Oz (still best known for the "other" man
behind the muppets!)
A
movie with this delicious a blend of visually pleasing and talented
actors, only comes along every decade or so. The Score
serves up the ever smooth Bob DeNiro, snickering Edward Norton,
a welcomed-back-to-the-screen Marlon Brando and hold-her-own-with-da-boyz
Angela Bassett. All this oozing talent is directed appropriately
by a man use to "puppeteering" Frank Oz. How could it
lose?
And it didn't. The Score is a rich combination of talent, intelligent
script and great direction.
Here's
the score...Nick Wells (Bob " Tribeca Boy" DeNiro) is
a master thief. He's also an upstanding citizen type who enjoys
subdued lighting and fine brandy. He's smitten with a fine young
thang, Diane (dazzling Angela Bassett). All he wants is to spend
a little time around the house. Get to enjoy his rewards. So when
what he thought was his eternal "last job" loses it's
buyer ala a bronze casket six feet below the top soil Nick is
lured by a long standing friend and colleague Max (Marlon "Please-
No fat jokes, I've heard them all punk" Brando) into the
quintessential last "last job." Max wants, needs,
Nick to join in with an "inside" guy named Jack and
do a team job on a priceless (not to them) artifact.
Natch,
this last job is the über heist that will set him and his
sweet chocolate love, Diane up for the rest of their lives and
their future off springs lives. Still, Nick is apprehensive.
Enter
Cracker Jack, wise Cracker, Jack (Ed- call Emily Blunt at 1-800-742-6565-Norton).
Jack's a young bright uprising criminal who's has that strong
odious belief that his poo, above all others poo, doesn't stink.
Nick instantly hates him. Max kind of hates him. But they
both need him. So, they
all play nice.
The
stage is set. The job is a go, and it's a beauty. Physics and
facts play a big role in assisting the mix-matched duo in pulling
the job off. Nick an expert at safe cracking and Jack an expert
at...well, BS and codes. Max? He's the friendly neighborhood "fence"
(the guy who sells the goods-the thieves steal). A big time criminal
fence burrowed in a large palatial home filled with deep cavernous
crevices where one might hide an extra freezer or two to store
food in for the winter or for a late night snack (Couldn't
resist).
DeNiro is
a God. An acting God. He's also one of the sexiest men living.
Of course it's a well known fact Mr. D enjoys the darker slices
of female meat, and in The Score he's paired perfectly with a
sultry Angela Bassett. The two are believable and romantic.
Let's talk
big old smitbug bite. Edward Norton. I simply adore this man.
Why? Have you seen Fight Club?
Or American History X. At first he appears all dorky and innocent
till he opens his sexy brilliant mouth. The boy can act with one
hand tied behind he handsome back. Wrap him up...I'll take him.
The fact that he's apparently, an intelligent man as well, only
ads a whipped heavy cream topping to the already devilishly decadant
slice of man pie! Maybe we could chat about the downfall of the
Turkish Empire pre- Macedonia as I hand feed him Godiva dipped
blueberries? Just a thought...
 The
cast usually tells a story about what you're heading in to see
(that stupid faux pas The Pledge
aside). The Score telegraphs it. It's going to be
dynamic on so many levels! Frank Oz directs his human puppets
to perfection, milking spectacularly sublime performances from
some of our greatest living talents.
And,
frankly, all the fat-guy-puffin-through-the-flick-like-a-black-sheep-Daniel
Baldwin-hopped up-on- Twinkies- and- Fritos- brand- corn- chips
jokes aside, legendary Brando eases through his role as Max, showing
people why he's an actor's favorite actor. His signature voice
softly delivering lines that had more then a few of teary eyed
as we watched a hero, an icon, back where he belonged and in the
company of actors, that could not just hold there own, but that
shared the screen comfortably with this colossal (sorry) legend.
Get
out and see this. It's an all around pleaser; great looking cast
great actors, great script, and great direction. Bravo. And thank
you Mr. DeNiro.
Snack Recommendation:
Sonny's all you can eat beef and pork parts BBQ, with sun-dried
tomatoes.
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