The Score is a 2001 American heist film directed by Frank Oz and starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Angela Bassett and Marlon Brando (in his final film role). It is the only time that Brando and De Niro appear onscreen together. The screenplay is based on a story by Daniel E. Taylor and Kario Salem. The film was released in the United States on July 13, 2001.
Production
During the production, Marlon Brando repeatedly argued with Frank Oz and called him "Miss Piggy", the Muppet whom Oz played from 1976 to 2001. Brando's eccentric behavior on set included performing scenes in his underwear and, at times, refusing to be directed by Oz altogether, and having co-star Robert De Niro take over with Oz instructing via an assistant director, an allegation that Oz confirmed. During the scene where Brando and De Niro are sitting together, Brando asked for De Niro to direct the scene, as he hated Oz. De Niro was not prepared to direct, but stated afterwards that it turned out fine. "There was one scene—two days of shooting—when Marlon was too upset with me to act while I was on the set," Oz stated. "I watched from outside, with a monitor, and Bob was very good and acted as mediator between us."
Screenwriter Scott Marshall Smith joined the crew late and received a writing credit.
Oz downplayed the conflict after the film's release, taking unspoken note of the reported tension between himself and Brando on the movie's Montreal set:
Oz later blamed himself for the tension and cited his tendency to be confrontational rather than nurturing in response to Brando's acting style.
Home media
The film was released on VHS and DVD on December 11, 2001. First Blu-ray release was August 31, 2010 and on October 11, 2022 it was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray.
Reception
Box office
In its opening weekend, the film opened at number 2 in the U.S. box office, raking in $19 million, behind Legally Blonde. After its debut on July 13, 2001, the $68 million film earned a gross domestic box-office income of $71,107,711. Combined with the international box office, the worldwide total is $113,579,918. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on a scale of A+ to F.
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it three-and-a-half stars out of four, calling it "the best pure heist movie in recent years". Steven Rosen of The Denver Post stated that "after sitting through such sloppy and reckless high-concept heist films as Mission: Impossible and Entrapment, it's refreshing to witness the careful, methodical attention to details that distinguishes The Score."
Peter Travers, film critic for Rolling Stone, pointed out that when "two Don Corleones team up", he expected "the kind of movie that makes people say, 'I'd pay to see these guys just read from the phone book'". However, he concluded, "There's nothing you can't see coming in this flick, including the surprise ending. Quick, somebody get a phone book."
Accolades
Angela Bassett won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her portrayal of Nick's girlfriend Diane. She was also nominated for the BET Awards Best Actress.