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The Score is a 2001 heist movie, directed by Frank Oz, that stars Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, and Marlon Brando. The film takes the audience on a thrilling and suspenseful journey as seasoned thief Nick Wells (De Niro) is coerced into carrying out one last robbery by a cunning and ambitious young criminal named Jack Teller (Norton) who has some leverage over Nick. Things soon become complicated when they realize that the prize is a priceless scepter located in a heavily guarded Montreal customs house.

Nick is a master thief, who after years of pulling off heists, is ready to retire and live a quiet life with his girlfriend, Diane (Angela Bassett), and focus on his jazz club. Jack convinces Nick to help him steal the scepter and promises that this will be the score of a lifetime. However, the job requires Nick to team up with a volatile and unpredictable fence named Max (Marlon Brando), who is Jack's employer. Max has a particular interest in the valuable scepter and devises the overall plan for the heist.

The Score is a heist movie in which technology takes a backseat, and the focus is on the intricacies of the meticulous planning, execution, and consequences of the heist itself. Director Frank Oz’s focus is on the interaction between the characters, and the intrigue surrounding the heist. There are no flashy car chases, explosive escapes or high-tech gadgets present in the movie. Instead, the emphasis is on the human element of the heist, including the relationships between Nick, Jack, and Max.

Robert De Niro gives a stellar performance as Nick Wells, the world-weary thief who is struggling to retire quietly after a lifetime of heists. His character is reserved, confident, and methodical. Edward Norton perfectly embodies Jack Teller, the impulsive and opportunistic criminal who is all about the thrill of the heist. Marlon Brando gives one of his final performances as Max, a subdued and business-savvy fence who acts as the glue that holds the team together.

The Score is smart, suspenseful, and sophisticated. Unlike many other heist movies, it is not a testosterone-fueled action thriller. It's slow-paced, measured, and adult. The film does not rely on cheap thrills, instead focusing on intelligence, character development, and intrigue. The heist itself is a complex and risky operation and does not go according to plan. The stakes are high, and the audience is left on edge until the very end.

In the end, The Score is a movie that relies on the intricate interplay between De Niro, Norton, and Brando's characters, and their portrayal of a suspenseful plot. It is a movie that does not rely on explosions, car chases, or special effects. Instead, it focuses on the complexities of human interaction and the underlying tension of a challenging undertaking. The Score is a timeless tribute to the heist genre, a masterful film that celebrates the joy and heartbreak of performance, as well as the high-stakes world of competitive crime.

The Score is a 2001 action movie with a runtime of 2 hours and 4 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8 and a MetaScore of 71.