Movie Description
Irish director Neil Jordan (THE CRYING GAME, MICHAEL COLLINS) and veteran actor Nick Nolte combine their talents for this breezy heist picture. Bob (Nolte) is a retired master thief and gambler living as an expatriot in France. His past robberies are the stuff of underworld legend, but he's given it all up, and fallen into a twilight life of heroin addiction and seedy gambling dens. Then a chance encounter with an attractive young runaway (Nutsa Kukhianidze) inspires him to clean up his act and take one last big job; an elaborate modern art heist at a swanky Riviera casino. Standing in his way is a cagey police inspector (Tchéky Karyo) who is determined to bring him down, even though the two are longtime friends.
The twisty caper plotting compliments a fun cast (including Emir Kusturica and Gérard Darmon as two of Bob's brothers in crime), clever dialogue, stylish direction, and pretty Riviera scenery. Loosely modeled on Jean Pierre Melville's BOB LE FLAMBEUR, this is something of a pet project for Jordan and it's obvious he's invested himself into every detail of the production. The result is both elegant and warmly quirky. As for Nolte, he seems to be having a terrific time; the charming old rascal role fits him perfectly, and Kukhianidze proves his match with an aplomb beyond her years. Ralph Fiennes has a small role as a disreputable art dealer.
| Credits | | Producer: | John Wells, Seaton McLean, Tracey Seaward | | Cast: | Emir Kusturica |
Editorial Reviews
"...THE GOOD THIEF is exuberant, sexy, and ultimately life-affirming drama..."
Total Film - p.105 - Ceri Thomas (03/01/2003)
"...It's a triumph of flourish, all weathered, movie-star-size gesture....The movie is the ultimate caper, a work of brazen ebullience..."
New York Times - p.E3 - Elvis Mitchell (04/02/2003)
"...THE GOOD THIEF offers a couple of good benefits. One is the pleasing sight of Nick Nolte in fairly robust form....There's also an appealing turn by Tcheky Karyo..."
USA Today - p.3D - Mike Clark (04/02/2003)
"...Nolte brings a raspy authority to the role, and director Neil Jordan surrounds him with colorful characters..."
Rolling Stone - p.64 - Peter Travers (05/01/2003)
"...[Nolte gives] one of those performances that flows unhindered from an actor's deepest instincts..."
Chicago Sun-Times - p.28 - Roger Ebert (04/06/2003)
"...An ingenious thriller....One of the best things about THE GOOD THIEF is the vividly grungy atmosphere that Jordan and master cinematographer Chris Menges evoke..."
Movieline - Stephen Farber (05/01/2003)
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