The Score
March 2002 Reviewed by: Anthony Di Marco Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

I’m not one to scoff at long, ambitious films. Braveheart, The Godfather, and Saving Private Ryan all have a place in my DVD collection because they are great examples of epic filmmaking. Every once in a while, though, when my wife and son bid good night and my own level of fatigue begs me not to dive into a three-plus-hour film, I reach for an excellent two-hour flick like The Score.

Comprising a cast of three generations of great actors, this Frank Oz-helmed crime caper (Bowfinger, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) delivers a tight, extremely well-directed story that never fails to entertain. It also proves that Hollywood still has a good idea of how to make a stellar film without needing to pad it with excessive violence, sex, or MTV-like editing techniques.

Under less-capable hands this familiar plot could have easily fallen prey to its overused devices. We’ve all seen the film where an expert, but well-adjusted, criminal wants to quit while he’s ahead and settle down. Only he’s pulled back into his life of questionable employment for one final "score." But De Niro, Brando, and Norton pull it off with such ease and conviction that it never seems stale. Also refreshing is the amount of respect each actor pays the other -- as if to say, "Hey we’re all good here, so let’s not step on each other’s feet." Norton in particular is amazing and takes on two distinct personalities with the same effortless precision that made his role in Primal Fear such a knockout. De Niro and Brando by comparison are also excellent, but in a more subtle and relaxed way. Angela Bassett’s role is, as many critics have pointed out, the only real weak link in this killer ensemble. And while the ending may be easy to figure out, there is never a point where I got bored or insulted by what is happening on screen. Amidst the familiar plot devices there are some genuine surprises -- the least of which is the unorthodox but ultra-cool way Nick Wells cracks a seemingly impenetrable safe.

Picture and sound are very good. The Dolby Digital soundtrack has good impact where needed and, as should be expected for any dialogue-driven film, excellent vocal intelligibility. The picture sports deep blacks, which in most cases gave a good foundation to the wide range of colors used in the film. Particularly impressive is a scene where Wells is being drenched in a rain of red-hot sparks as he cuts through an access door. I did find the blacks a bit annoying during some dimly lit interior scenes, where it was easy to loose a bit of detail in the faces of actors and set pieces.

Next to Angela Bassett’s role, features are the only other thing "average" about The Score. None offered much in the way of horribly illuminating details on the production, even though the commentary and the two featurettes are well done.

It’s hard to believe that Frank Oz, the vocal talent behind Miss Piggy and countless other creatures from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, is such a good and well-rounded director. Many high-profile directors have a hard time honing their talents in one genre, never mind being successful at both comedy and drama. Both Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Bowfinger were excellent comedies and huge favorites of mine. But The Score is easily one of the more impressive crime dramas I have seen in recent memory. Chalk one up for the frog-loving swine!

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