The Score

Starring: Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Marlon Brando, & Angela Bassitt

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

In what was widely considered to be a passing of the torch, three generations of Hollywood superstars, joined forces for a thriller known as The Score. I found this to be a very strange film, as it features both moments of high intensity and moments that are painfully slow. Robert De Niro stars as Nick Wells, the best safe cracker you could find, but as he's getting older and seeking more stability in his life. Considering retirement, Wells is asked to be part of one last big score, that will have him, and his fence, set for life. Wells reluctantly agrees, before finding out there is a catch, he'll be working with his possible replacement, an arrogant and cocky young man, who could wind up getting them all caught. As far as acting goes, you may never see a better trio of leading men, De Niro, Marlon Brando, and especially Edward Norton were absolutely terrific in their roles. The film however doesn't really take off until the crime actually begins. For over an hour they are in the planning stage, painstakingly going over every detail, and it really is as bad as it sounds, in fact, I almost turned it off, until the wheels were set in motion. From that point, the film really is terrific, with an ending that will leave your jaw on the floor! I was very happy with the last forty minutes of the film, and all three actors were fantastic, but so much of this film moves at a snails pact that I really couldn't give it a higher rating. This is a two hour film, that could have easily been shortened to an hour and a half, without losing any of it's integrity. All the detailed plans and unnecessary back and fourth make the first hour of this film painful, but if you can stick with it, the second hour is certainly worth it.