The Score (2001)
75%RT Audience Score: 67%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 1 nomination
Though the movie treads familiar ground in the heist/caper genre, Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton, and Marlon Brando make the movie worth watching
The Score is a heist thriller that showcases some of the best actors of their time, but unfortunately, it falls short of expectations. While the performances are top-notch, the plot is tediously long-winded and lacks originality. However, it’s still fun to watch Brando parody his slurred speech and see a thief look at an intimidating new safe utterly undaunted. Overall, The Score is a competent movie that’s worth watching for the star-studded cast, but don’t expect anything groundbreaking.
Production Company(ies)
Deblokada Produkcija Coop99 Filmproduktion, Digital Cube
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Montréal Old Town District, Montréal, Québec, Canada
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language
Year of Release
2001
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:2h 3m
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Language(s):English, French
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Country of origin:United Kingdom
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 13, 2001 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 10, 2009
Genre(s)
Mystery & thriller
Keyword(s)
starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Marlon Brando, Angela Bassett, Gary Farmer, Paul Soles, directed by Frank Oz, written by Kario Salem, Lem Dobbs, Scott Marshall Smith, Roland Pellegrino, Adam Platnick, Bernard Williams, produced by Gary Foster, Lee Rich, Mystery, thriller, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Jamie Russell, Andrew Sarris, Robert Koehler, Marjorie Baumgarten, Rick Groen, Nell Minow, John A Nesbit, Mark Halverson, Rob Gonsalves, Joe Lozito, Emanuel Levy, Steven Snyder, R MPAA rating, heist, caper, thief, accomplice, fence, retirement, rule-breaking, Nick Wells, Jackie Teller, Brian, Diane, Max Baron, Burt, Danny
Worldwide gross: $114,252,154
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $192,547,835
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 720
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 20,997,583
US/Canada gross: $71,107,711
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $119,837,004
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 633
US/Canada opening weekend: $19,018,807
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $32,052,176
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 417
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $68,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $114,599,614
Production budget ranking: 330
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $61,711,892
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $16,236,328
ROI to date (est.): 9%
ROI ranking: 1,350
Ed Norton – Jackie Teller, Brian
Angela Bassett – Diane
Marlon Brando – Max Baron
Gary Farmer – Burt
Paul Soles – Danny
Director(s)
Frank Oz
Writer(s)
Kario Salem, Lem Dobbs, Scott Marshall Smith, Roland Pellegrino, Adam Platnick, Bernard Williams
Producer(s)
Gary Foster, Lee Rich
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (128) | Top Critics (39) | Fresh (94) | Rotten (34)
Oz courts first-rate performances from each of his stars.
September 17, 2001 | Rating: 4/5
Jamie Russell
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
Manages to waste a prestigious cast on a tediously long-winded caper plot.
July 20, 2001
Andrew Sarris
Observer
TOP CRITIC
Restoring the seductive style of the no-nonsense procedural heist movie to complete luster, this is the kind of pic that knows the difference between being masculine and being macho.
July 18, 2001
Robert Koehler
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Our pleasure derives from watching all the creative participants in this movie go through their paces and riff creatively on the established themes.
July 16, 2001 | Rating: 3.5/5
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Contains The Scene, a precious sequence already destined for infinite repetition.
July 16, 2001 | Rating: 3/4
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
The story might not have much that’s new, but it is still fun to see a thief look at an intimidating new safe utterly undaunted.
July 16, 2001 | Rating: 3/5
Nell Minow
Movie Mom
TOP CRITIC
Part of the fun is watching and listening to Brando parody his slurred speech
January 30, 2011 | Rating: C
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 2/5
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review
The Score, a competent if nothing-special heist thriller on paper, showcases three generations of acting giants.
August 18, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
July 14, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
Three of the most accomplished actors of their respective generations, Brando, De Niro, and Edward Norton, are underused in this old-fashioned heist crime picture.
December 2, 2006 | Rating: C+
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
October 1, 2005 | Rating: 3.5/4
Steven Snyder
Zertinet Movies…
Plot
Three generations of method acting giants unite for this crime thriller written by Kario Salem and directed by Frank Oz. Robert De Niro stars as Nick Wells, an aging thief whose specialty is safe-cracking and who is on the verge of retiring to a life of ease, running his jazz club and romancing his girlfriend Diane (Angela Bassett). But before he can ride off into the sunset, Nick is pressured to do one last job by his mentor and business partner, a flamboyant and extravagant upscale fence named Max (Marlon Brando). Max is plotting the heist of the Montreal Customs House, and he’s got a man on the inside, Jackie Teller (Edward Norton), a talented but volatile crook who has managed to ingratiate himself with the facility’s staff as a fellow employee suffering from cerebral palsy. Jackie bristles at Nick’s interference in “his” score, however, and threatens violence when it seems he’s going to be cut out of the action. In the meantime, Nick grows increasingly ill at ease about the operation, as it violates his two most important dictum in thievery: always work alone and never pull a job in your own city.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels notes that “three generations of acting giants” are featured in The Score, referring to Robert De Niro, Marlon Brando, and Edward Norton.
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