Stars: Nick Nolte, Tcheky Karyo, Said Taghmaoui, Gerard Darmon, Marc Lavoine

Director: Neil Jordan

Summary: Bob is an ageing American thief living in Nice, France. He is hoping to do one last job so that he can retire on the proceeds. The job involves stealing a rare painting from a casino in Monte Carlo, the problem is that the local police chief is hot on Bob's heals...

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 (Tcheky 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 Gerard 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.

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When Neil Jordan is really on his game, as he is with The Good Thief, his directorial skill is a marvel to behold. In the character-driven mode of Jordan's Mona Lisaand The Crying Game, this smooth, underrated caper provides an abundance of cinematic riches, not the least being Jordan's peerless knack for dialogue and a tailor-made role for Nick Nolte. For better or worse, Nolte's off-screen drug abuse served him well in portraying Bob Montagnet, ace thief, recovering heroin addict, and beloved denizen of the French Riviera, where his luck is about to take some very clever turns.

The elegant plot is yours to discover; in loosely remaking the French classic Bob le Flambeur, Jordan crafts what one reviewer aptly called "the underbelly of Ocean's Eleven", involving an impenetrable vault full of priceless art, a rescued Russian prostitute, an eccentric band of accomplices and high-stakes poker in Monte Carlo. Nolte is right at home in this rich-and-risky milieu and the combined talents of Jordan and ace cinematographer Chris Menges make The Good Thiefa pleasure from start to finish. --Jeff Shannon

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Audio Commentary - 1. Neil Jordan - Director, Trailers, TV Spots, Featurette - 1. The Making Of THE GOOD THIEF
Year:	2003
Release Date:	October 20, 2003
Runtime:	104 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	M P 238 D
Keywords:	General, Thief, Good, Thriller
Genre:	Thriller