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The Good Thief Details

2003 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
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  • from 2025 members

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 .. Read more

Starring Nick Nolte, Tcheky Karyo, Said Taghmaoui, Gerard Darmon
Director Neil Jordan
Genres Thriller

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The Good Thief

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.

Starring Nick Nolte, Tcheky Karyo, Said Taghmaoui, Gerard Darmon, Marc Lavoine
Director Neil Jordan
Studio MOMENTUM PICTURES
Certificate Certificate 15
Genres Thriller
Language DVD: English
Released DVD: 01 Sep 2003
Production year: 2003
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (3) of The Good Thief

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    Nick Nolte plays thief, heroin addict and professional gambler Bob Montagnet, the charming but morally dubious hero in this remake of the classic French thriller Bob le Flambeur. Down on his luck but not quite out of the game, Montagnet rescues a young Eastern European immigrant from a life of prostitution and then goes cold turkey in order to orchestrate a big casino heist — a complicated double-bluff that will see him play the tables as the robbery is being carried out. This is film noir in the Mediterranean sunshine, built around a gravel-voiced tour-de-force performance from Nolte. Unfortunately, director Neil Jordan overcomplicates proceedings with too many characters — including identical twins, a transsexual bodybuilder and an uncredited Ralph Fiennes as a shady art dealer. There are also too many rival heist plots, which detract from the towering central performance of the ever-watchable Nolte.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006
  • 1 stars out of 4

    A crepuscular account of a lucky streak in the life of a world-weary man who has seen too much; there is a dogged quality about it that makes for less than engaging viewing.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
    • Posted 02 Mar 2006

  • Most helpful member's review of The Good Thief

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  • 12 out of 16 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars

    This is not Oceans 11

    Others that have reviewed this film have unfairly compared this movie to Oceans 11, but there is no comparisam. Oceans was an enjoyable film with a star studded cast, The Good Thief has Nick Nolte and a cast of virtual unknowns.

    The film indeed does revolve around the plans to rob a casino but the unknown cast add an air of authenticity to the plot, it is more rugged and raw and in my opinion more believable. The viewer is permitted to see into the lives of the players and why life has dictated that they must perform the robbery in the first place.

    There are several potential endings and you won't find out unless you watch to the very end.

    Add this to your rental list and Oceans 11, watch both of them and you will see they are two totally differnt movies / plots.

      • homerj from EAST SUSSEX
      • Posted 25 Oct 2003 16:05

  • Most recent members' review of The Good Thief

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  • 4 out of 7 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars

    The Good THief

    A poor "OCEANS 11" Similar plot, different film title. Glossy! Predictable!

    In all mediocre.

      • salem from suffolk
      • Posted 15 Oct 2003 10:32

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      • 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 ...