The Score (2001)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Frank Oz

Writers (WGA):

Daniel E. Taylor (story) and
Kario Salem (story) ...

Release Date:

13 July 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

There are no partners in crime

Plot:

An aging thief hopes to retire and live off his ill-gotten wealth when a young kid convinces him into doing one last heist.

Plot Keywords:

Montreal | Thief | Customs House | Heist | Jazz Club

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	Nick Wells
Edward Norton	...	Jack Teller
Marlon Brando	...	Max
Angela Bassett	...	Diane
Gary Farmer	...	Burt
Paul Soles	...	Danny
Jamie Harrold	...	Steven
Serge Houde	...	Laurent
Jean-René Ouellet	...	André (as Jean Rene Ouellet)
Martin Drainville	...	Jean-Claude
Claude Despins	...	Albert
Richard Waugh	...	Sapperstein
Mark Camacho	...	Sapperstein's Cousin
Marie-Josée Colburn	...	Woman in Study (as Marie-Josee D'Amours)
Gavin Svensson	...	Man in Study

Also Known As:

The Score (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:18 | USA:R (certificate #38218) | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hungary:14 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

When fighting in Jackie's apartment, Burt is shown slamming Jackie's face into the kitchen counter twice. He was filmed doing it only once; the second slam was created with precise editing.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The final bus station Edward Norton runs to does not exist. The establishing shot before depicting a Montreal landmark facing the bus stop would place it in the middle of a popular tourist area opened only to pedestrians and cyclists in the old port of Montreal.

Quotes:

Steven's Mother: [calling from upstairs] Steven, want some lunch?
Steven: [throwing an empty soda can at the stairs] I'm on the phone, bitch!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Working Stiffs (#10.3)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Autumn Leaves

Mastering suspense without violence

I found The Score a very rare treat in the era of Kill Bill 2 and Die Hard 9. In The Score there is plenty of suspense but very little violence. If I explain this too much, I will spoil.

Except for lots of swear words, this is clearly PG-13, and provides a strong lesson in how to craft an action movie without a lot of explosions and gunfights. Plus: three generations of Method actors is a real treat, with Brando playful and seemingly content, DeNiro cool beyond cool, and Norton riffing away the whole movie. [Regarding DeNiro: what's cooler than a) managing a sleek jazz club, in b) sleek Montreal, with c) Angela Bassett as your sleek flight attendant girlfriend?!] Rent it soon >> it's a sleeper.