A heist movie that oozes style, particularly in the form of Nick Nolte, gangster, part-time heroin addict (he handcuffs himself to the bed to go cold turkey before a job) and good guy. He befriends a gorgeous young waif (Nino Kukhanidze) with only altruistic motives (when she could potentially become his Achilles Heel) and proceeds to mastermind a complex heist, playing a chummy cat and mouse with the chief of police. Far classier than your average thriller, and mercifully lacking (with the occasional plot-based exception) in explosions and fast car chases.
105 Reviews
With Subtitles, Better Than Bob
ccthemovieman-114 January 2006
This was a re-make of the 1955 film noir, "Bob LeFlambeur," which I also own. That was black-and-white and made in France while this is 2002 movie in color with English-speaking actors.
Usually I'll take the original over the re-make but not in this case....with one major consideration. In order to like this film, I had to play the DVD with the English subtitles on because many of the accents were just too tough to decipher and if you can't understand the dialog, it gets a bit frustrating. The story is confusing enough as it is, so, if you have a similar problem as I had, play this with the subtitles.
If there is such a thing as colorful film noir, this would be it, with many splashes of the neon nightlife of France, inside and outside.
Story-wise, if you're confused you are not alone. After two viewings, I still haven't totally figured out the twist at the end. The dialog tries to be snappy mid-40s Raymond Chandler stuff and sometimes it's great, other times it's affected. Overall, however, it 's fun. Nick Nolte delivers most of the clever lines. The young girl in here, Nutsa Kukhianidze, is intriguing new face, as was the case with Isabelle Corey in "Bob."
This movie gets a lot of negative reviews from professional critics. Don't trust them; give this a look.
Usually I'll take the original over the re-make but not in this case....with one major consideration. In order to like this film, I had to play the DVD with the English subtitles on because many of the accents were just too tough to decipher and if you can't understand the dialog, it gets a bit frustrating. The story is confusing enough as it is, so, if you have a similar problem as I had, play this with the subtitles.
If there is such a thing as colorful film noir, this would be it, with many splashes of the neon nightlife of France, inside and outside.
Story-wise, if you're confused you are not alone. After two viewings, I still haven't totally figured out the twist at the end. The dialog tries to be snappy mid-40s Raymond Chandler stuff and sometimes it's great, other times it's affected. Overall, however, it 's fun. Nick Nolte delivers most of the clever lines. The young girl in here, Nutsa Kukhianidze, is intriguing new face, as was the case with Isabelle Corey in "Bob."
This movie gets a lot of negative reviews from professional critics. Don't trust them; give this a look.
Not a bad bet at all... better than average remake
hokeybutt2 July 2004
THE GOOD THIEF (3+ outta 5 stars)
Very good character study/caper film about a drug-addicted American criminal (Nick Nolte) in France who straightens himself out for one more Big Score. He in constantly under the watchful eye of a kindly police inspector who wants to stop him for his own good... so he hits upon a plan to devise a *fake* robbery to divert attention from the *real* one. It's a remake of an old French classic, "Bob La Flambeur" (which I haven't seen yet... so I may have a different take on this movie after I've seen the original). The cast (various character actors of different nationalities) is great... and Nolte portrays a very believable down-on-his-luck substance-abuser... but that may not be much of a stretch for him. Directed and written by Neil Jordan... it may not be one of his best movies ("The Crying Game", "The Butcher Boy") but it's still a fine piece of work.
Very good character study/caper film about a drug-addicted American criminal (Nick Nolte) in France who straightens himself out for one more Big Score. He in constantly under the watchful eye of a kindly police inspector who wants to stop him for his own good... so he hits upon a plan to devise a *fake* robbery to divert attention from the *real* one. It's a remake of an old French classic, "Bob La Flambeur" (which I haven't seen yet... so I may have a different take on this movie after I've seen the original). The cast (various character actors of different nationalities) is great... and Nolte portrays a very believable down-on-his-luck substance-abuser... but that may not be much of a stretch for him. Directed and written by Neil Jordan... it may not be one of his best movies ("The Crying Game", "The Butcher Boy") but it's still a fine piece of work.
Nolte as a good actor? He is very good.
JohnDeSando11 April 2003
In `The Good Thief' Nick Nolte plays Bob Montagnet, a down-but-not-yet-out Bogie, a very bright thief, and a heroin addict. Natsa Kukshianidge's femme fatale, Anne, is a 17-year old Bacall. It's the south of France--Nice and Monaco-- and it's time to relieve Monte Carlo of some precious paintings. Picasso is the model for Nolte's scamming talents: Picasso's conflicted painting of a woman with 2 sides to her face is the appropriate analogy for the duality of the young girl, both innocent and depraved, and Nolte's gambler, good and bad as the title suggests. Picasso's being accused of stealing from everyone adds to the allusive charm. The caper involves a Judas deceiver to support director Neil Jordan's frequent Christian motif (Remember `Jude' in "Crying Game"). The crucifixion's' good thief, Nolte's thief, is good to the young Anne by saving her from the pimp. Jordan again joins an unlikely couple (Consider Fergus and Dil in "CG"), here a father figure with an errant daughter.
The winding roads of the Mediterranean shoreline are also fitting metaphor for Nolte's tortuous path to redemption. The requisite drying-out scenes, where Bob handcuffs himself to the bed and rejects Anne's offer of sexual freedom, are effective realism in an otherwise stylish film that eschews clarity and ingenuity in favor of some character development and much atmosphere.
The scenes at the casino are smoother than "Casablanca's," slicker than James Bond's, and lighter than "Croupier's." When Bob and Anne begin their end of the elaborate heist by challenging the house odds, there is little to worry about their losing but much about the philosophy of gambling, of going all the way regardless of the outcome. However, Jordan's take on slick thievery is not really different from that found in the recent `Confidence,' `Heist,' or `Ocean's Eleven.' The denouement is hardly logical or dramatically tight: Does an ex-thief go clean? Does he save his Mary Magdalene? Does he stop his losing streak and addiction? Does he pull off the heist? None of this is the point.
Bob as a "good thief " is all that matters.
And Nolte as a good actor? He is very good.
The winding roads of the Mediterranean shoreline are also fitting metaphor for Nolte's tortuous path to redemption. The requisite drying-out scenes, where Bob handcuffs himself to the bed and rejects Anne's offer of sexual freedom, are effective realism in an otherwise stylish film that eschews clarity and ingenuity in favor of some character development and much atmosphere.
The scenes at the casino are smoother than "Casablanca's," slicker than James Bond's, and lighter than "Croupier's." When Bob and Anne begin their end of the elaborate heist by challenging the house odds, there is little to worry about their losing but much about the philosophy of gambling, of going all the way regardless of the outcome. However, Jordan's take on slick thievery is not really different from that found in the recent `Confidence,' `Heist,' or `Ocean's Eleven.' The denouement is hardly logical or dramatically tight: Does an ex-thief go clean? Does he save his Mary Magdalene? Does he stop his losing streak and addiction? Does he pull off the heist? None of this is the point.
Bob as a "good thief " is all that matters.
And Nolte as a good actor? He is very good.
Stylish film with a very confused ending.
senortuffy9 September 2003
Warning: Spoilers
This was a very enjoyable film right up until the climax. Then it was suddenly over and I was left wondering what had just happened, and that's not usually the sign of a good movie.
Nick Nolte is very good in the role of an aging thief in the south of France. He's turned sour over the years and has just hit rock bottom when the opportunity of a big casino heist turns up. He kicks his heroin habit and prepares to steal some paintings the casino owners are holding in a vault.
********* SPOILERS *********
This involves the plot, so you might want to turn away if you haven't seen the film.
Nick and his gang have a plan: They're gonna leak the news to the police that they're planning on breaking into the casino vault, but the real robbery involves stealing the paintings held across the street in a secure room. The police will fall for the ruse while they make off with the real goods.
On the big night, everyone's in place except Paulo, who had to flee after killing the snitch who was screwing his girlfriend. Nick and Anne go into the casino and gamble while the boys are across the street tunneling into the room where the paintings are. But the police are on to the switch and are waiting for the thieves to break in.
Now, here's where the ending confuses me. The heist goes wrong because a gas line breaks and the thieves abandon their plan. But Nick is in the casino and he's on an amazing winning streak. I couldn't follow how much he was ahead, but it looked like tens of millions of francs - maybe the equivalent of ten or twenty million dollars.
Nick cashes all his chips in finally and the casino discovers that their vault has been emptied when they go to pay him. The twins working inside the casino have pulled off the caper they'd been planning and which Nick was aware of. In fact, Paulo must have helped them because he's seen in the end climbing out of the car with all the casino's money in it.
So, my question is, was Nick involved in the other heist, the one that really worked, or was his take just the winnings he made at cards? The way he won was so off the charts that I was expecting them to reveal he'd had some inside help, but that apparently wasn't the case.
So, was Nick just incredibly lucky or was he really a very clever thief? I couldn't tell what the ending meant, and that was unsatisfying after having enjoyed the buildup.
*********
Good characters and the scenery along the Riviera was terrific. Nolte does mumble a lot, but I could understand him for the most part. Tchéky Karyo was good as the detective shadowing Nolte throughout the film - they had a friendly relationship and Tchéky seemed on the verge of laughing at the other actor's jokes a few times. Nutsa Kukhianidze is an eyeful as Anne. The rest of the cast is also very good.
Entertaining, but that ending still confuses me.
Nick Nolte is very good in the role of an aging thief in the south of France. He's turned sour over the years and has just hit rock bottom when the opportunity of a big casino heist turns up. He kicks his heroin habit and prepares to steal some paintings the casino owners are holding in a vault.
********* SPOILERS *********
This involves the plot, so you might want to turn away if you haven't seen the film.
Nick and his gang have a plan: They're gonna leak the news to the police that they're planning on breaking into the casino vault, but the real robbery involves stealing the paintings held across the street in a secure room. The police will fall for the ruse while they make off with the real goods.
On the big night, everyone's in place except Paulo, who had to flee after killing the snitch who was screwing his girlfriend. Nick and Anne go into the casino and gamble while the boys are across the street tunneling into the room where the paintings are. But the police are on to the switch and are waiting for the thieves to break in.
Now, here's where the ending confuses me. The heist goes wrong because a gas line breaks and the thieves abandon their plan. But Nick is in the casino and he's on an amazing winning streak. I couldn't follow how much he was ahead, but it looked like tens of millions of francs - maybe the equivalent of ten or twenty million dollars.
Nick cashes all his chips in finally and the casino discovers that their vault has been emptied when they go to pay him. The twins working inside the casino have pulled off the caper they'd been planning and which Nick was aware of. In fact, Paulo must have helped them because he's seen in the end climbing out of the car with all the casino's money in it.
So, my question is, was Nick involved in the other heist, the one that really worked, or was his take just the winnings he made at cards? The way he won was so off the charts that I was expecting them to reveal he'd had some inside help, but that apparently wasn't the case.
So, was Nick just incredibly lucky or was he really a very clever thief? I couldn't tell what the ending meant, and that was unsatisfying after having enjoyed the buildup.
*********
Good characters and the scenery along the Riviera was terrific. Nolte does mumble a lot, but I could understand him for the most part. Tchéky Karyo was good as the detective shadowing Nolte throughout the film - they had a friendly relationship and Tchéky seemed on the verge of laughing at the other actor's jokes a few times. Nutsa Kukhianidze is an eyeful as Anne. The rest of the cast is also very good.
Entertaining, but that ending still confuses me.
The third kind of heist movies
valadas22 January 2011
Heist movies are of two kinds: those where the heist is successful and end in some sort of bliss for the robbers (on whose side the viewers always are) and those where it fails and ends up in tragedy. The heist told in this movie belongs to a third kind because in my opinion it's neither successful nor unsuccessful like you will see in the end and understand why I am saying so. Nick Nolte does an excellent job in the role of a middle aged gambler, heister and drug addict who plans a robbery of valuable pictures in a casino in the south of France despite the fact that he is being watched by the police. The heist plan is very original indeed and it is based on a fake heist on one place while the real robbery will take place on another one. The end of the movie is bit confusing while mixing luck at gambling (in a rather unbelievable and unexplained way) with the success or failure of the heist itself. Well but it's a merry movie (except for the only death that occurs there)and Nick Nolte plays his part in a wonderful way.
Bob le Flambeur this is not!
jotix10010 May 2003
I have seen every film directed by Neil Jordan. Being a big fan of his, I didn't want to miss this one. Well, it was the big disappointment of my life. This remake of Bob le Flambeur is horribly directed and acted. The last sequence is just about the best thing of this film, but as for the rest, it was just mediocre, at best.
The idea of putting together these many characters in the Riviera was probably a great thought, but then, the many actors of different nationalities and backgrounds prove to be a hindrance to the story. If one can get over the accent problem, then there is the sound track of this film, which was so hard to hear at all, at least in the theater where I saw it, that you have a double hurdle to get over.
Nick Nolte with his hair dyed a carrot hue looks hideous; he probably was going through a bad period when he made this movie. His take on Bob is fitting with the character's spiral descent into hell because of his drug problem, no doubt. But he is also hard to understand since he whispers and mumbles most of the time. A little more clarity would have helped.
The last moments of the film are very well executed, but as caper films go, this picture doesn't contribute anything to the genre.
Sorry Mr. Jordan, better luck next time out. Maybe leave remakes to mediocre directors. You could not improve in the original one, so why even bother?
The idea of putting together these many characters in the Riviera was probably a great thought, but then, the many actors of different nationalities and backgrounds prove to be a hindrance to the story. If one can get over the accent problem, then there is the sound track of this film, which was so hard to hear at all, at least in the theater where I saw it, that you have a double hurdle to get over.
Nick Nolte with his hair dyed a carrot hue looks hideous; he probably was going through a bad period when he made this movie. His take on Bob is fitting with the character's spiral descent into hell because of his drug problem, no doubt. But he is also hard to understand since he whispers and mumbles most of the time. A little more clarity would have helped.
The last moments of the film are very well executed, but as caper films go, this picture doesn't contribute anything to the genre.
Sorry Mr. Jordan, better luck next time out. Maybe leave remakes to mediocre directors. You could not improve in the original one, so why even bother?
NICE TO SEE NOLTE BACK ON THE BIG SCREEN
iohefy-222 April 2003
This caper was a little different, but they could not have gotten anyone else for this part, it was Nolte from the get go. It was a fast paced movie with a twist at the end. Go see it you will enjoy it. The rest of the cast was good although they are not familiar faces to us in the U.S.
Stylish and Satisfying
dromasca19 September 2003
'The Good Thief' is the best film Neil Jordan did since 'Mona Lisa' almost two decades ago. It is a classical and well written robbery story, complex enough to catch the interest, simple enough for the spectator to follow and enjoy, and with the special twist at the end that makes a good script. The main character fits Nick Nolte like life, I can imagine only Humphrey Bogart doing better in this role. There are a few other memorable characters, with the Georgian (from the other Georgia) Nutza Kukhianidze promising to become soon a star if she has enough luck to continue to work with good directors and scripts. The cinematography has a special quality, with final stills after each shot, enhancing a good digital camera work. I also liked the soundtrack, it's a mix of classic, jazz and even Leonard Cohen sounds right for a change. 8/10 on my personal scale - certainly worth seeing.
A nice Nolte nicks with Nutsa near Nice
=G=22 August 2003
"A Good Thief" is a smart heist flick with Nolte at the center as a rogue with a heart and a habit who is as at home at a casino baccarat table as he is in the streets of Nice. This film is all about Nolte, a babe, and his gang of expert thief assistants who assemble to rip off a Monte Carlo casino under the watchful eye of the cops. This well crafted flick features a cosmopolitan cast, a crisp location shoot on the Riviera, a cleverly convoluted story which gets busy and stays busy, attention to detail seldom seen in movies, and a good musical score. Recommended for anyone into heist flicks but don't expect much else. This tight little drama is all about the heist. (B)
a dissapointing trashy hollywood remake..
GuitarGod7523 May 2003
Warning: Spoilers
This is yet another one of the current slew of trashy hollywood remakes. Incase you did not know that this is, infact, a remake, of the French Noir classic "Bob le flambeur".
They took a very stylish, very charming new wave french crime film, that was made on a shoe string budget, and threw lots of money at it, and added lots of T&A, drugs, transsexuals, techno music and, oh yes, a zombie-like Nick Nolte.
Part of the charm of the original, was that on an extremely low budget, Jean-Pierre Melville created a very stylish, classy, and all around cool film. It took him 4 years to make it, simply because he had to keep stopping to raise more money.
This new film had too much money for its own good. Part of the charm of the original was that it was shot guerilla style with very little money.
And why on earth did they make Bob a DRUG ADDICT!? what the hell?!?!?! The whole POINT was that Bob was the old, wise, COOL guy. Now he's this old mumbling heroin addict. They added lots of drug use, WHY? They added a transsexual, for comic relief, WHY? and they replaced the really cool old score with dance music and lounge jazz....WHY?!
----spoiler alert----
and for the love of god....by far, the worst change
THEY GAVE IT A HAPPY ENDING!!!!?!??!
what the hell?!?!?! Paulo is supposed to get SHOT! because he's an IDIOT! and even worse...Bob is supposed to go to JAIL!
----end of spoiler----
anyway....I can possibly understand every once and a while remaking and updating an old film. Not to replace a classic, but to stand next to it. This film does not deserve to have any relation to Jean Pierre Melville at all.
If you want to see a decent remake of Bob le Flambeur, see Paul Thomas Anderson's "Syndey", admittedly directly inspired by "Bob". Or, just stick with the original.
They took a very stylish, very charming new wave french crime film, that was made on a shoe string budget, and threw lots of money at it, and added lots of T&A, drugs, transsexuals, techno music and, oh yes, a zombie-like Nick Nolte.
Part of the charm of the original, was that on an extremely low budget, Jean-Pierre Melville created a very stylish, classy, and all around cool film. It took him 4 years to make it, simply because he had to keep stopping to raise more money.
This new film had too much money for its own good. Part of the charm of the original was that it was shot guerilla style with very little money.
And why on earth did they make Bob a DRUG ADDICT!? what the hell?!?!?! The whole POINT was that Bob was the old, wise, COOL guy. Now he's this old mumbling heroin addict. They added lots of drug use, WHY? They added a transsexual, for comic relief, WHY? and they replaced the really cool old score with dance music and lounge jazz....WHY?!
----spoiler alert----
and for the love of god....by far, the worst change
THEY GAVE IT A HAPPY ENDING!!!!?!??!
what the hell?!?!?! Paulo is supposed to get SHOT! because he's an IDIOT! and even worse...Bob is supposed to go to JAIL!
----end of spoiler----
anyway....I can possibly understand every once and a while remaking and updating an old film. Not to replace a classic, but to stand next to it. This film does not deserve to have any relation to Jean Pierre Melville at all.
If you want to see a decent remake of Bob le Flambeur, see Paul Thomas Anderson's "Syndey", admittedly directly inspired by "Bob". Or, just stick with the original.
Excellent Remake
fung028 March 2016
Remakes are repugnant in principle, but they can occasionally be worthwhile, if the people making them actually have something new to say. That's definitely the case with The Good Thief.
Jean-Pierre Melville's 1956 Bob le Flambeur is a quirky but masterful film. It's also flawed in many ways. Its most obvious limitation is the leading man, Roger Duchesne, who clearly lacks the charisma required by the part. Melville worked on the cheap, and couldn't afford a big-name star. Neil Jordan rectifies that problem beautifully; Nick Nolte is absolutely the perfect choice to play Bob Montagné.
Bob le Flambeur also has a very peculiar loping pace, which adds to its charm, but works against its logic. Things in Melville's films seem to happen almost at random; characters often come and go, win or lose, for little obvious reason. Jordan adds several levels to Meleville's original plot, making it flow more smoothly and rationally. In the process, he turns The Good Thief into a rather different film - more of a complex heist caper, compared to Melville's simpler mood piece.
Nonetheless, The Good Thief does retain Melville's fundamental affection for the central character. In fact, we get a deeper look at Bob, who has now added a drug habit to his other vices. Jordan also does a lot more work to 'sell' the original ending. He gives us a more explicit interpretation - it's all about doing things with style. This is Jordan's personal commentary on a film he obviously admires.
Of course, despite its flaws (or perhaps because of them), Bob le Flambeur is clearly a ground-breaking masterpiece. The Good Thief is not. It's merely a very good film - likable, clever, insightful, less frustrating and far more entertaining than the original. It's not so much a remake as a reinterpretation. It deepens our appreciation of the original, but also stands alone as a fine work in its own right.
In short, I'd recommend both films very highly. See Bob le Flambeur when you're in the mood for a breakthrough art film, graced with moody black-and-white photography of 1950s Paris. See The Good Thief when you'd prefer a colorful caper film with strong characters and some real philosophical depth.
Jean-Pierre Melville's 1956 Bob le Flambeur is a quirky but masterful film. It's also flawed in many ways. Its most obvious limitation is the leading man, Roger Duchesne, who clearly lacks the charisma required by the part. Melville worked on the cheap, and couldn't afford a big-name star. Neil Jordan rectifies that problem beautifully; Nick Nolte is absolutely the perfect choice to play Bob Montagné.
Bob le Flambeur also has a very peculiar loping pace, which adds to its charm, but works against its logic. Things in Melville's films seem to happen almost at random; characters often come and go, win or lose, for little obvious reason. Jordan adds several levels to Meleville's original plot, making it flow more smoothly and rationally. In the process, he turns The Good Thief into a rather different film - more of a complex heist caper, compared to Melville's simpler mood piece.
Nonetheless, The Good Thief does retain Melville's fundamental affection for the central character. In fact, we get a deeper look at Bob, who has now added a drug habit to his other vices. Jordan also does a lot more work to 'sell' the original ending. He gives us a more explicit interpretation - it's all about doing things with style. This is Jordan's personal commentary on a film he obviously admires.
Of course, despite its flaws (or perhaps because of them), Bob le Flambeur is clearly a ground-breaking masterpiece. The Good Thief is not. It's merely a very good film - likable, clever, insightful, less frustrating and far more entertaining than the original. It's not so much a remake as a reinterpretation. It deepens our appreciation of the original, but also stands alone as a fine work in its own right.
In short, I'd recommend both films very highly. See Bob le Flambeur when you're in the mood for a breakthrough art film, graced with moody black-and-white photography of 1950s Paris. See The Good Thief when you'd prefer a colorful caper film with strong characters and some real philosophical depth.
Bobby Montagnet: Drug Addict and Thief. Swell fella though and it's so nice in Nice.
hitchcockthelegend22 September 2012
The Good Thief is written and directed by Neil Jordan. A remake of French film Bob le flambeur, it stars Nick Nolte, Emir Kusturica, Nutsa Kukhianidze, Tcheky Karyo and Said Taghmaoui. Music is scored by Elliot Goldenthal and cinematography by Chris Menges.
Bob Montagnet (Nolte) is slipping further down the ladder of hope, addicted to drugs and gambling he allows himself a shot at glory by taking part in one last intricate heist....
The heist at the heart of The Good Thief is pretty much playing second fiddle to the characters involved with said heist on each side of the law. This is primarily about conversations and characters defined by their actions, there's no shoot-outs and screeching of car tyres as the Gendarmerie pursue edgy criminals. It's sedately paced and neatly stitched together, even if it's too smooth for its own good at times. A trait of Jordan's is to focus on a main character with issues and have the audience wondering how it is going to pan out. Here Jordan gets maximum mileage out of this premise whilst directing Nolte to a terrific and gripping performance.
Cast around Nolte are mostly splendid, though young Kukhianidze is a bit overwhelmed by the quality around her. Chris Menges photography is beautiful, affecting golden hues for character moments of hope, cold tones for harsher aspects of the story. There's a rich cosmopolitan flavour to the production, both with the French setting and cast list, while the patience of the viewer is rewarded with a well constructed last half hour as the heist comes into play and one or two tricksy reveals come tumbling out of the card deck.
It's about brain over brawn in this one, hardly a masterpiece of the crime drama sphere, but Nolte and that last third make it well worth the time of the discerning cinephile. 7/10
Bob Montagnet (Nolte) is slipping further down the ladder of hope, addicted to drugs and gambling he allows himself a shot at glory by taking part in one last intricate heist....
The heist at the heart of The Good Thief is pretty much playing second fiddle to the characters involved with said heist on each side of the law. This is primarily about conversations and characters defined by their actions, there's no shoot-outs and screeching of car tyres as the Gendarmerie pursue edgy criminals. It's sedately paced and neatly stitched together, even if it's too smooth for its own good at times. A trait of Jordan's is to focus on a main character with issues and have the audience wondering how it is going to pan out. Here Jordan gets maximum mileage out of this premise whilst directing Nolte to a terrific and gripping performance.
Cast around Nolte are mostly splendid, though young Kukhianidze is a bit overwhelmed by the quality around her. Chris Menges photography is beautiful, affecting golden hues for character moments of hope, cold tones for harsher aspects of the story. There's a rich cosmopolitan flavour to the production, both with the French setting and cast list, while the patience of the viewer is rewarded with a well constructed last half hour as the heist comes into play and one or two tricksy reveals come tumbling out of the card deck.
It's about brain over brawn in this one, hardly a masterpiece of the crime drama sphere, but Nolte and that last third make it well worth the time of the discerning cinephile. 7/10
A mess
smythp14 April 2010
As I haven't seem the original "Bob le Flambeur" I'm not in a position to compare the two versions.
In the right hands this could have a been a good (possibly great) film. Unfortunately in Jordan's hands it's just a mess. As in many of his other films Jordan has good ideas but seems to be incapable of carrying them through successfully.
An immediate problem is the constantly mumbled dialogue. In a film with pretensions at a complex heist plot that's a complete no-no. It may be realistic in a real-world sense but it's certainly no fun for the viewer. The cast are good and the cinematography is fine. The biggest problem is the script. It comes across like a first draft with numerous logical holes, spurious scenes and cardboard characters. Some of the plot twists are very reminiscent of the Oceans series and one has to wonder how much of an influence they were on the plot, particularly in the later stages of the film. Here they just don't work as they aren't sufficiently developed or underpinned to convince. It's almost as if Jordan was writing the film as he went along.
In the right hands this could have a been a good (possibly great) film. Unfortunately in Jordan's hands it's just a mess. As in many of his other films Jordan has good ideas but seems to be incapable of carrying them through successfully.
An immediate problem is the constantly mumbled dialogue. In a film with pretensions at a complex heist plot that's a complete no-no. It may be realistic in a real-world sense but it's certainly no fun for the viewer. The cast are good and the cinematography is fine. The biggest problem is the script. It comes across like a first draft with numerous logical holes, spurious scenes and cardboard characters. Some of the plot twists are very reminiscent of the Oceans series and one has to wonder how much of an influence they were on the plot, particularly in the later stages of the film. Here they just don't work as they aren't sufficiently developed or underpinned to convince. It's almost as if Jordan was writing the film as he went along.
Classy, gritty, multi-accented heist flick
noralee20 April 2003
"The Good Thief " is a classier one-last-great-heist film than "Ocean's 11," in a more exotic Riviera locale with grittier repartee and well-worn actors with many different accents.
The long-time camaraderie among crooks and cops is comfortably reflected, though much back story has to be stretched to explain why American Nick Nolte fits in.
Based on a 1955 French film I haven't seen, "Bob le flambeur," I don't know how much Neil Jordan changed from the original. It has the kind of twists and turns that has strangers in the audience turning to each other at the end to compare notes.
Really odd that Ralph Fiennes's cameo is uncredited, as he's terrific, and much more effective here as a leonine cynic than as a romantic in "Maid in Manhattan."
Most creative transsexual character since "Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert" and neat use of the Polish brothers.
Jordan resists another male fantasy until the end when Nolte finally pairs up with the seductive teen-ager who conveniently announces she has just turned 18 so he can't add statutory rape to his rap sheet. Oh, so then we're supposed to feel happy ever after.
Very nice world-weary multi-lingual soundtrack, including Serge Gainsburg and Leonard Cohen.
The long-time camaraderie among crooks and cops is comfortably reflected, though much back story has to be stretched to explain why American Nick Nolte fits in.
Based on a 1955 French film I haven't seen, "Bob le flambeur," I don't know how much Neil Jordan changed from the original. It has the kind of twists and turns that has strangers in the audience turning to each other at the end to compare notes.
Really odd that Ralph Fiennes's cameo is uncredited, as he's terrific, and much more effective here as a leonine cynic than as a romantic in "Maid in Manhattan."
Most creative transsexual character since "Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert" and neat use of the Polish brothers.
Jordan resists another male fantasy until the end when Nolte finally pairs up with the seductive teen-ager who conveniently announces she has just turned 18 so he can't add statutory rape to his rap sheet. Oh, so then we're supposed to feel happy ever after.
Very nice world-weary multi-lingual soundtrack, including Serge Gainsburg and Leonard Cohen.
Saved by Nolte
paul2001sw-121 January 2008
A thief comes out of retirement, and the gutter, to put together an audacious plot to rob a casino in defiance of a policeman with whom he has personal history; how many times have you seen that one before? Yet although 'The Good Thief' does not exactly set new standards in originality, it has certain merits that set it above the average film of it's type: the complex plot, a certain skill in invoking the mood of the underbelly of France (even if all the dialogue is spoken in English); and Nick Nolte's unique ability to convey a sense of ruination. Offsetting this, Nutsa Kukshianidge' female lead is very pretty but I found her acting unconvincing; at times the story appears to be trying too hard; and director Neil Jordan certainly is, with his busy style and some off-putting habits (in this film, he peculiarly ends each scene with a freeze-frame, which adds nothing to the movie save annoyance). Even so, it's one of Jordan's better movies, a thriller that mixes grime and glamour, even if it never quite manages to transcend its genre.
A Monte Carlo heist movie, with the usual planning and action, and a fine cast to see it through.
fredsailer6 October 2006
This film appears to be a perfect vehicle for Nolte at this stage of his career. He certainly shouldn't attempt to portray the'good looking' older man, but as the worn veteran he makes a stunning presentation.
This role seems to parallel Nolte's personal life, and it only assists in making him more believable, and more likable. Did I forget to mention his heart of gold?
The supporting cast of predominantly European actors click well with Nolte; not only the female lead is vibrant. Make no mistake, this is not a one man film; the rest of the cast sparkles, and with an umbrella of driving music, we become part of his crew.
Whether or not the center of the plot, a casino heist, is successful is irrelevant. What takes us along is Mr Nolte's innate roguish charm, and his slick interplay with his entourage. He does all the right things to keep us unmarred, and as I mentioned before, the outcome is secondary:the joy is in the ride, not the destination.
This role seems to parallel Nolte's personal life, and it only assists in making him more believable, and more likable. Did I forget to mention his heart of gold?
The supporting cast of predominantly European actors click well with Nolte; not only the female lead is vibrant. Make no mistake, this is not a one man film; the rest of the cast sparkles, and with an umbrella of driving music, we become part of his crew.
Whether or not the center of the plot, a casino heist, is successful is irrelevant. What takes us along is Mr Nolte's innate roguish charm, and his slick interplay with his entourage. He does all the right things to keep us unmarred, and as I mentioned before, the outcome is secondary:the joy is in the ride, not the destination.
Mesmerizing performance by Nolte
rosscinema3 January 2004
Warning: Spoilers
This is a remake of a 1955 film called "Bob Le Flambeur" but this version is definitely different with an amazing performance by its star. Story takes place in the south of France where an aging thief named Bob (Nick Nolte) drinks, gambles and is addicted to heroin. After losing his last 70,000 francs on a horse race Bob handcuffs himself to his bed to beat his addiction. Bob has also helped a 17 year old prostitute named Anne (Nutsa Kukhianidze) and together Bob gets through this difficult phase in his life. Bob emerges from this broke but a friend takes him to a local casino to show him the paintings on the wall. Bob says that they are all fakes but learns that the real ones are held downstairs in a room with high security. He gets a loan from a local thug and art dealer named Tony Angel (Ralph Fiennes) who wants a percentage of whatever he gets. On Bob's tail is Roger (Tscheky Karyo) who is a cop and a friend who knows that Bob is up to something so he follows him everywhere.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
Bob enlists the help of other characters to assist him but things get complicated when Anne's pimp wants her back and then the head of security at the casino tells him that he wants to be on the heist but it turns out that he has a twin brother that no one knows about.
This film is directed by Neil Jordan who can be at times a brilliant filmmaker but over the last few years his efforts have been at best spotty. Here he seems to be in great form and like his films in the past this is a story about odd characters who try to survive in a harsh world despite their passions. Jordan is aided greatly with the casting of Nolte in a role that seems to be written for him. Nolte has stated in interviews that he did some heroin for some of the scenes in this film. This is one of his best roles and its a performance that borders on his very own personal demons. It reminded me of Robert Downey Jr in "Two Girls and a Guy" and when I describe it that way I mean that these two incredible actors brought out a dark side of themselves and exposed it to the camera. It's not easy to watch but these types of riveting performances are raw at its basic level. Nolte's ragged and weathered face is a mask of both pain and experience. His character is definitely someone that can teach you something but he also comes across as a guy that you would want to know at a distance. Along with a good performance by Kukhianidze and Jordan's wonderful direction this works both as a heist film and a fascinating character study.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
Bob enlists the help of other characters to assist him but things get complicated when Anne's pimp wants her back and then the head of security at the casino tells him that he wants to be on the heist but it turns out that he has a twin brother that no one knows about.
This film is directed by Neil Jordan who can be at times a brilliant filmmaker but over the last few years his efforts have been at best spotty. Here he seems to be in great form and like his films in the past this is a story about odd characters who try to survive in a harsh world despite their passions. Jordan is aided greatly with the casting of Nolte in a role that seems to be written for him. Nolte has stated in interviews that he did some heroin for some of the scenes in this film. This is one of his best roles and its a performance that borders on his very own personal demons. It reminded me of Robert Downey Jr in "Two Girls and a Guy" and when I describe it that way I mean that these two incredible actors brought out a dark side of themselves and exposed it to the camera. It's not easy to watch but these types of riveting performances are raw at its basic level. Nolte's ragged and weathered face is a mask of both pain and experience. His character is definitely someone that can teach you something but he also comes across as a guy that you would want to know at a distance. Along with a good performance by Kukhianidze and Jordan's wonderful direction this works both as a heist film and a fascinating character study.
Nick Nolte is awesome as an aging gambler deciding to assemble a team to rob a casino
ma-cortes18 August 2022
Neal Jordan's stylish remake of Jean Pierre Melville's ¨Bob le flambeur¨ -starred by Isabelle Corey , Roger Duchesne, Gérard Buhr , Daniel Cauchy Howard Vernon- serves as a showcase for Nick Nolte's excellent acting . Aging Bob (Nick Nolte) is a mature , down-on-his-luck gambler who's informed the French Riviera casino safe is bursting with cash . Bob loses the last of his money at the track as he decides to have a final fling by robbing the Monte Carlo casino . He's talked into masterminding an art heist at a casino with the usual gang of multinational partners . Bob is good friend to a stubborn police inspector (Tcheky Karyo) , and both of whom carry out a cat and mouse game . So, in desperate need of cash, the ex-gangster organises one last heist , setting his sights on robbing casino's impenetrable safe, allegedly crammed with millions of dollars. As Bob and his hand-picked team iron out the details of the audacious plan, the stage seems set for a final, winner-take-all robbery. While Bob joins the motley group to do the job he rescues a young prostitute (Nutsa Kukhianidze) from a pimp (Marc Lavoine) , taking her under his wing . Then thing go wrong , as Bob doesn't know is that someone has tipped the police of the heist. He doesn't want money !. He wants what money can't buy !.
An interesting and thrilling plot with abundant attractive roles , in which an old gangster and gambler is almost broke , so he decides in spite of the warnings of a friend, a high official from the police, to rob a gambling casino . This bittersweet drama/crime/comedy displays thriller , intrigue , action , twists and turns . Subplots trace a seemingly perfect robbbing combined with greed , betrayal , and even death stand in the way of a possible success or a flop . Filmmaker Neal Jordan provides plenty of atmosphere and noir-heist dialogue , though the script gets a little tricky and may induce some head-scratching at the final . Main and support cast are frankly magnificent . Nick Nolte gives a terrific acting as an American inveterate gambler, heroin addict and master thief whom everyone likes . Alongside Tchéky Karyo as the inspector who goes after Bob while he wants to save him from himself. And the expert team accompanying to Bob formed by nice secondaries such as Gérard Darmon as Raoul , Saïd Taghmaoui as Paulo , Emir Kusturica as technical mastermind Vladimer, Embarek as a former-drug-dealer-turned-informant , among others. And special mention for the newcomer Nutsa Kukhianidze whom Bob takes under protection. The latter was hired by Neal Jordan , deeming in many of his films people with no prior acting experience or training appear in leading or substantial supporting roles.
It displays a sensitive and atmospheric musical score by Elliot Goldenthal, adding some catching French songs . As well as colorful and evocative cinematography by Chris Menges. The motion picture was compellingly written and and directed by Neil Jordan . This great filmmaker has made splendid movies, such as : Mona Lisa , High Spirits , We're no Angels , The company of wolves, The Crying Game , The Miracle , Interview with the Vampire, in Dreams, Michael Collins , The Butcher Boy , The Good Thief , The Brave One , Byzantium , among others . Rating : 7/10 , notable . Better than average . Worthwhile watching . Essential and indispensable seeing for Nick Nolte fans.
An interesting and thrilling plot with abundant attractive roles , in which an old gangster and gambler is almost broke , so he decides in spite of the warnings of a friend, a high official from the police, to rob a gambling casino . This bittersweet drama/crime/comedy displays thriller , intrigue , action , twists and turns . Subplots trace a seemingly perfect robbbing combined with greed , betrayal , and even death stand in the way of a possible success or a flop . Filmmaker Neal Jordan provides plenty of atmosphere and noir-heist dialogue , though the script gets a little tricky and may induce some head-scratching at the final . Main and support cast are frankly magnificent . Nick Nolte gives a terrific acting as an American inveterate gambler, heroin addict and master thief whom everyone likes . Alongside Tchéky Karyo as the inspector who goes after Bob while he wants to save him from himself. And the expert team accompanying to Bob formed by nice secondaries such as Gérard Darmon as Raoul , Saïd Taghmaoui as Paulo , Emir Kusturica as technical mastermind Vladimer, Embarek as a former-drug-dealer-turned-informant , among others. And special mention for the newcomer Nutsa Kukhianidze whom Bob takes under protection. The latter was hired by Neal Jordan , deeming in many of his films people with no prior acting experience or training appear in leading or substantial supporting roles.
It displays a sensitive and atmospheric musical score by Elliot Goldenthal, adding some catching French songs . As well as colorful and evocative cinematography by Chris Menges. The motion picture was compellingly written and and directed by Neil Jordan . This great filmmaker has made splendid movies, such as : Mona Lisa , High Spirits , We're no Angels , The company of wolves, The Crying Game , The Miracle , Interview with the Vampire, in Dreams, Michael Collins , The Butcher Boy , The Good Thief , The Brave One , Byzantium , among others . Rating : 7/10 , notable . Better than average . Worthwhile watching . Essential and indispensable seeing for Nick Nolte fans.
Truly amazing, you just have to love this..
JL2728 April 2004
The whole movie, man this was good.. Nolte, the girl and the whole movie - all perfect.. This movie is done with style, good taste and imagination. This is not a basic average Hollywood-movie - it's a great mixture of the best stuff from both American and European movies, still without any over-dramatizing you see in independent films. The acting and the casting is just fantastic, all lead roles pull of something they might never repeat. -AND the movie really has the moods; spectacular atmosphere throughout the movie. Since this movie I've been searching for all Nolte-movies I haven't seen.. Really, I say no more, you just make sure you see this one! Totally amazing..
There's nothing we can do now but to play our parts. My part is to gamble.
sol121829 January 2008
**SPOILERS** Glossy and engaging crime caper having to do with the rip off of the Monte Carlo Casino by a gang of rag tag crooks, with a computer security expert thrown in,led by the recovered heroin addict and alcoholic Bob Mortagnet, Nick Nolte.
Living off the kindness, pimps hookers tourists and degenerate gamblers, of others for years in the run down section of Nice France Bob Mortagent is now at rock bottom. Depressed and feeling that he just hasn't got it, being a criminal mastermind, anymore Bob soon comes up with a plan to make up for all the lost time he spent in both drug and alcohol rehabs. Getting together with his close friend and fellow crook Raoul, Gerard Darmon, Bob cooks up this plan to knock off the famous Monte Carlo Casino the day that the Grand Prix is being run.
The plan calls for a slight of hands job with Bob's partners in crime Roul and Co. breaking into the Casino's safe that has 80 million francs worth of precious paintings. This while having the police and casino security think that they'll actually ripping of the same number of fakes in the main casino ballroom upstairs from where the real paintings are being kept! The key to all this is with Bob at he time in the casino gambling and being seen by hundreds of gamblers and tourists as well as the casino's battery of security cameras. This action on his part will provide Bob with an air tight alibi in not participating in the robbery.
Far too complicated to go into details, without giving away the very clever surprise ending, "the Good Thief" has Bob pull off a real double whammy to the surprise of everybody watching, as well as in, the movie. Bob not just lowers the boom on the casino and the cops headed by Bob's good friend, who want's to see him go straight, Capt. Roger, Theley Karyo,but on his clueless, in what his real plans are, fellow crooks as well.
Besides Nick Nolte and the aforementioned cast members there's also Nutsa Kukhiaidze as the part time hooker and full time nightclub dancer Anne. Anne gets herself involved with Bob and is used by him as a partner in his extraordinary gambling exploits in the casino later on in the film. The crew that both Bob & Roul assembled included sex-changed, from a male to a female, bodybuilder the former Philip and now Philipe, Julien Maurel. Philipe's fear of spiders, something he or she keeps secret from the rest of the crooks, later almost blows the entire caper wide open.
There's also the Judas, or rat-fink, that Bob covalently set up without his knowledge to throw the police off to what he was doing Algerian fugitive Said, Ouassini Embarek. Said desperately trying to find out what exactly Bob, who earlier in the movie saved his rotten neck, was up to in order to get in good with the cops who were in the process of deporting him back to his native Algeria. In his also trying to get in good with Anne, whom he supplies with dope, to find out Bob's plan Said didn't realize, until it was too late, that her boyfriend Paulo, Said Taghmauel, had a nasty and murderous jealous streak in him.
The really big ace up Bob's sleeve in what turned out to be the perfect crime turned out to be the identical twins Albert & Bertram, Mark & Micael Polish. In an amazing final sequence the twins not only had Bob, together with Anne, pull off the crime of the century but have in done with a double indemnity clause tacked on to it as well!
P.S The song "A Thousand Kisses Deep" on the movie's soundtrack had me at first think that it was sung by non-other then it's foghorn voiced star Nick Nolte. The song in fact turned out to have been preformed by singer Leonard Cohen, who's voice is a dead ringer for Nolte's, instead!
Living off the kindness, pimps hookers tourists and degenerate gamblers, of others for years in the run down section of Nice France Bob Mortagent is now at rock bottom. Depressed and feeling that he just hasn't got it, being a criminal mastermind, anymore Bob soon comes up with a plan to make up for all the lost time he spent in both drug and alcohol rehabs. Getting together with his close friend and fellow crook Raoul, Gerard Darmon, Bob cooks up this plan to knock off the famous Monte Carlo Casino the day that the Grand Prix is being run.
The plan calls for a slight of hands job with Bob's partners in crime Roul and Co. breaking into the Casino's safe that has 80 million francs worth of precious paintings. This while having the police and casino security think that they'll actually ripping of the same number of fakes in the main casino ballroom upstairs from where the real paintings are being kept! The key to all this is with Bob at he time in the casino gambling and being seen by hundreds of gamblers and tourists as well as the casino's battery of security cameras. This action on his part will provide Bob with an air tight alibi in not participating in the robbery.
Far too complicated to go into details, without giving away the very clever surprise ending, "the Good Thief" has Bob pull off a real double whammy to the surprise of everybody watching, as well as in, the movie. Bob not just lowers the boom on the casino and the cops headed by Bob's good friend, who want's to see him go straight, Capt. Roger, Theley Karyo,but on his clueless, in what his real plans are, fellow crooks as well.
Besides Nick Nolte and the aforementioned cast members there's also Nutsa Kukhiaidze as the part time hooker and full time nightclub dancer Anne. Anne gets herself involved with Bob and is used by him as a partner in his extraordinary gambling exploits in the casino later on in the film. The crew that both Bob & Roul assembled included sex-changed, from a male to a female, bodybuilder the former Philip and now Philipe, Julien Maurel. Philipe's fear of spiders, something he or she keeps secret from the rest of the crooks, later almost blows the entire caper wide open.
There's also the Judas, or rat-fink, that Bob covalently set up without his knowledge to throw the police off to what he was doing Algerian fugitive Said, Ouassini Embarek. Said desperately trying to find out what exactly Bob, who earlier in the movie saved his rotten neck, was up to in order to get in good with the cops who were in the process of deporting him back to his native Algeria. In his also trying to get in good with Anne, whom he supplies with dope, to find out Bob's plan Said didn't realize, until it was too late, that her boyfriend Paulo, Said Taghmauel, had a nasty and murderous jealous streak in him.
The really big ace up Bob's sleeve in what turned out to be the perfect crime turned out to be the identical twins Albert & Bertram, Mark & Micael Polish. In an amazing final sequence the twins not only had Bob, together with Anne, pull off the crime of the century but have in done with a double indemnity clause tacked on to it as well!
P.S The song "A Thousand Kisses Deep" on the movie's soundtrack had me at first think that it was sung by non-other then it's foghorn voiced star Nick Nolte. The song in fact turned out to have been preformed by singer Leonard Cohen, who's voice is a dead ringer for Nolte's, instead!
A great example
rps-27 September 2012
This dreadful movie is an exemplar of everything that is wrong with Hollywood. It is an object lesson in the negative impact of American films. It glamorizes and extols wrong ideas...macho behaviour... blatant sex...drug addiction...successful crime... It also must hold a Guiness record for the movie with the most smoking ever filmed. EVERYBODY in the film ALWAYS has a cigarette (or a cigar) dangling from their lips, removing them, it seems, only to mouth the "F Word." In one memorable scene, a driver casually flips a cigarette butt out of his car. Was that really necessary? It had no dramatic value. No. I don't advocate goody two shoes movies. People smoke. People swear. People scheme. But should not the underlying theme of such a story ultimately be a positive one. I despised Nick Nolte's character. But sadly, many may think it's cool and worthy of emulation. The film is a classic example of Hollywood's depravity and lack of responsibility.
Nutsa and Nolte
RanchoTuVu4 August 2005
More than a heist film, with an interesting young cast and a terrific conclusion at the gambling tables, with Nick Nolte playing a heroin addicted compulsive gambler and all around nice guy who goes cold turkey in order to get in shape for the heist of a super swank Monte Carlo casino vault and priceless paintings. Jordan captures the mood of drugs and nightlife with the fantastic photography and very cool soundtrack, including Leonard Cohen and a great version of That's Life. The cast makes this film, especially Nutsa Kukhianidze as Anne and Said Taghmaoui as Paulo, whose interaction take the film in an even more interesting direction, while the addition of identical twins (the Polish brothers) was a stroke of genius.
Entertaining Film
whpratt17 July 2006
Nick Nolte,(Bob Montagnet),"Neverwas",'05 was perfect in this role as a gambler and thief all living in the fast lane of life, just like Nolte likes to do in his real life. Nutsa Kukhianidze,(Anne)"Mathilde"'04 played the role of a young girl 17 years of age, who was a hooker and met up with Bob who treated her like a father and daughter in an odd sort of way, but they did get along. However, Anne got all her loving from younger guys who seemed to come and go. There is great photography around all the casino's and there is plenty of scenic views through out the entire picture. Nutsa Kukhianidze is as skinny as a bean pole and does have a few nude scenes and does some very hot sexy dancing. This is really not one of Nick Holte's better films, but it is very entertaining and seems to drop dead at the END !
Largley uninteresting and generally under-cooked crime film that does its best with the material, but falls short in the long run.
johnnyboyz18 October 2011
Hot on the heels of Steven Soderbergh's 2001 Ocean's Eleven remake comes Neil Jordan's The Good Thief; a colourful, extravagant film about some pretty desperate people inhabiting a grimy world of strippers, drug addicts and gangsters unsure of whether to keep on the straight and narrow and depict it as all fun and frolics, or as a depiction of a disgraceful; disgusting underbelly to a photogenic locale that everybody needs to wake up to. Personally, I like my neo-noir-cum-heist movies in a greyed out, grotty, grimy locale; think something along the lines of 2010's The Town, unravelling in Boston; thin 1999's Payback, unfolding in a weird mesh of Chicago and New York further still transported back to the 1960s; think post-war London acting as a great backdrop to the original The Ladykillers. The second you hop over to a warm, colourful location such as Monaco, it just becomes a holiday – and I find it difficult not to just instantaneously wash my hands of the whole thing .
The film's cast, while not as big nor seductive enough to lure those in whom watch their movies for who's in them rather than who's making them, is still pretty hefty and again follows these people doing their utmost to thieve something big. The film is ultimately a let down, a rather fruity failure which fizzes now and again but is too grounded in genre convention and quick to submit to off-the-wall content typical of the more recent films of director Neil Jordan to be any good. Nick Nolte plays Bob Montagnet, and being Nick Nolte, he plays him with that trademark growl that often has him come across as what Chris Rea might sound like doing a Tom Waits impersonation. He's an ambling, shambling individual; a man who loves his gambling, even bases himself within the European capital of gambling, Monte-Carlo, and going so far so as to confess his love for the pastime that he has a roulette wheel in his apartment.
Along with this particular hobby, Bob has a tendency to dwell within the realms of strip clubs and is additionally a drug addict; in his own words, he "cannot remember back to the 1980s" - such is the nature of his life and what it has been for so long. Despite these coked up; down-and-out; floozy knowing foundations, he is able to speak Arabic - one such instance seeing him utilise these attributes when there is a disagreement during yet another night in the blue-hued clubs of pole dancers and drugs. What unfolds is an instance that sees Bob act cool and collectively; a stopping of two people from coming to blows, in what is a handling of a situation in a methodical and scrupulous manner. Later, Bob will need to apply these traits to a mission carrying a greater amount of risk and hostility; this follows a day at the races, in which he goes on to bet every last morsel he has on a huge risk/reward punt which, as surprised as we all are when we watch it, doesn't go according to plan. Bottomed out, he turns to what skills he had in his former life as a criminal; specifically, stealing and instigating a heist on a casino housing many thousands of French currency.
It is established this casino has been hit in the past, although unsuccessfully on the occasions it has been; the picture ominous as we entrust this stammering, stuttering drug addict seemingly too spaced out to recall what happened fifteen years ago, although is able to cite and discuss the work of Piccasso. Hope lies solely with the fact the place has had recent refurbishment, and that this fact ought to aid them in some way. What follows is that of the film's uninteresting meat on a pretty spindly bone, a series of meetings and interactions with other people able to assist in the heist which forms into the bulk of what usually transpires during the opening act of a bog-standard heist film. Here, varying scenes of planning and such are stretched out to an overly long, and often uninteresting, degree which is dressed up with some cool lighting and some Heat-esque musical tones not only calling to mind Michael Mann's film but making you wish you were watching the damned thing instead.
To carry out the heist, Bob must kick his drug-habit, but this is only the first of his problems as Saïd Taghmaoui's Arab Paulo looks to grass him in if it means saving his own skin while plain-suited police officer Roger (Karyo) is constantly watching his old rival with the intent to arrest him if needs be. One scene they share, in a church, exemplifies the nature of their relationship; that is to say, their meeting in a peaceful and very calm locale reiterates their harmonious coexisting, or understanding that they have, but is punctuated by Bob's persistent moving around highlighting the stationary Roger's inability to get a 'lock' on him. His crew will come to consist mostly of gross representations, in that an Eastern European woman will be depicted as flimsy and loose; an Arab will no-quicker betray his best friend than he did thank him for previously getting him out of trouble, while a character with an ambiguous sexual orientation is under developed and feels wedged in so as to garner smirks from the audience. The Good Thief strikes us as style over substance, such is the nature of Jordan's work when he doesn't quite fire as loudly and as proudly as he did with both Mona Lisa and The Crying Game. They were films about male leads walking a tightrope as a world of sleaze, or criminality, spun rabidly around them threatened to undo their uneasy relationships with the women in their lives. Here, we do not like the lead as much as Hoskins' ignorant, although well-meaning, driver; nor as much as Stephen Rea's terrorist cell operating rouge whom decides to develop a conscience.
The film's cast, while not as big nor seductive enough to lure those in whom watch their movies for who's in them rather than who's making them, is still pretty hefty and again follows these people doing their utmost to thieve something big. The film is ultimately a let down, a rather fruity failure which fizzes now and again but is too grounded in genre convention and quick to submit to off-the-wall content typical of the more recent films of director Neil Jordan to be any good. Nick Nolte plays Bob Montagnet, and being Nick Nolte, he plays him with that trademark growl that often has him come across as what Chris Rea might sound like doing a Tom Waits impersonation. He's an ambling, shambling individual; a man who loves his gambling, even bases himself within the European capital of gambling, Monte-Carlo, and going so far so as to confess his love for the pastime that he has a roulette wheel in his apartment.
Along with this particular hobby, Bob has a tendency to dwell within the realms of strip clubs and is additionally a drug addict; in his own words, he "cannot remember back to the 1980s" - such is the nature of his life and what it has been for so long. Despite these coked up; down-and-out; floozy knowing foundations, he is able to speak Arabic - one such instance seeing him utilise these attributes when there is a disagreement during yet another night in the blue-hued clubs of pole dancers and drugs. What unfolds is an instance that sees Bob act cool and collectively; a stopping of two people from coming to blows, in what is a handling of a situation in a methodical and scrupulous manner. Later, Bob will need to apply these traits to a mission carrying a greater amount of risk and hostility; this follows a day at the races, in which he goes on to bet every last morsel he has on a huge risk/reward punt which, as surprised as we all are when we watch it, doesn't go according to plan. Bottomed out, he turns to what skills he had in his former life as a criminal; specifically, stealing and instigating a heist on a casino housing many thousands of French currency.
It is established this casino has been hit in the past, although unsuccessfully on the occasions it has been; the picture ominous as we entrust this stammering, stuttering drug addict seemingly too spaced out to recall what happened fifteen years ago, although is able to cite and discuss the work of Piccasso. Hope lies solely with the fact the place has had recent refurbishment, and that this fact ought to aid them in some way. What follows is that of the film's uninteresting meat on a pretty spindly bone, a series of meetings and interactions with other people able to assist in the heist which forms into the bulk of what usually transpires during the opening act of a bog-standard heist film. Here, varying scenes of planning and such are stretched out to an overly long, and often uninteresting, degree which is dressed up with some cool lighting and some Heat-esque musical tones not only calling to mind Michael Mann's film but making you wish you were watching the damned thing instead.
To carry out the heist, Bob must kick his drug-habit, but this is only the first of his problems as Saïd Taghmaoui's Arab Paulo looks to grass him in if it means saving his own skin while plain-suited police officer Roger (Karyo) is constantly watching his old rival with the intent to arrest him if needs be. One scene they share, in a church, exemplifies the nature of their relationship; that is to say, their meeting in a peaceful and very calm locale reiterates their harmonious coexisting, or understanding that they have, but is punctuated by Bob's persistent moving around highlighting the stationary Roger's inability to get a 'lock' on him. His crew will come to consist mostly of gross representations, in that an Eastern European woman will be depicted as flimsy and loose; an Arab will no-quicker betray his best friend than he did thank him for previously getting him out of trouble, while a character with an ambiguous sexual orientation is under developed and feels wedged in so as to garner smirks from the audience. The Good Thief strikes us as style over substance, such is the nature of Jordan's work when he doesn't quite fire as loudly and as proudly as he did with both Mona Lisa and The Crying Game. They were films about male leads walking a tightrope as a world of sleaze, or criminality, spun rabidly around them threatened to undo their uneasy relationships with the women in their lives. Here, we do not like the lead as much as Hoskins' ignorant, although well-meaning, driver; nor as much as Stephen Rea's terrorist cell operating rouge whom decides to develop a conscience.
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