The Good Thief
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Movie Reviews of The Good Thief
Movie Review: A smart and sexy heist film
Summary: 4 Stars
A remake of Jean Pierre Melville's Bob Le Flambeur, The Good Thief tells the tale of Bob Montagnet, a gambling as well as a heroin addict who is down in his luck. As an avid art lover, he recently discover that the new owner of the Monte Carlo at the French Riviera has a sizeable collection of priceless pieces, and is determine to pull that one spectacular job in which no one else can rival. Assembling the right group of people and concocting a plan within a plan, the line between truths and lies becomes increasingly blurry as Bob attempts to outwit the pesky policeman following his every movement. Will fortune smiles down on him, or will he be dealt another loser hand?Bob is a skilled thief and a master storyteller, from how his parents first met to the accounts of his own life, no two versions are ever the same. It is hard to pinpoint the exact reason, but Nick Nolte's portrayal of Bob appears to be almost effortless. The man's struggle with a drug habit, the desolated look and his stubborn refusal to be beaten. Nolte was able to relate all of these feelings on the screen convincingly. Tcheky Karyo plays his nemesis Roger, a French cop who is both a friend, as well as an enemy due to their occupational differences. Their cat and mouse relationship provided many of the humorous moments in the movie. Newcomer Nutsa Kukhianidze held her own opposite of Nolte as the seductive prostitute Anne. Her acting is subtle, confident, and likeable. Definitely someone to keep an eye out for in the future. The rest of the cast is made up of Said Taghmaoui as Paulo and Gerard Darmon as Raoul, Bob's good friends and associates in the business.
Rather than falling back on flashy action or dramatic car chases to tell the story, award-winning director Neil Jordan chose to concentrate on having his characters do all the work for him. The Good Thief is a rare instance where the development of these roles take precedence, and the picture benefits greatly because of it. The finely woven plot consists of numerous twists and turns common to caper films; fortunately, they are kept fresh by the smart writing along with the solid acting all around. You may not be able to follow everything that is going on, but you can be sure that there isn't a dull moment. Cinematography by Chris Menges is stunning. The contrast between the glamorous Riviera and the squalid but exotic underworld is remarkable.
Sexy and stylish, The Good Thief is one of the best heist films I have seen in years. Nick Nolte delivers an outstanding performance in a part that seems to be tailored especially for him. An intriguing and an unpredictable plot, the witty dialogues, combined with a strong focus on the lead characters made this an immensely enjoyable experience. Admittedly the movie was hard for me to get into at first, but once you were drawn in, it does not let you go until the very last scene. While The Good Thief does not have the same star power as the highly successful Ocean's Eleven, don't let that stop you from checking it out.
Movie Review: A quiet an' subtle near-classic...
Summary: 4 Stars
I wasn't too sure what to make'a this flick when I went to see it at the local artsy theater downtown. I'm a fan'a Nick Nolte's work an' my taste in movies leans toward the more obscure like this, but I was still skeptical. But, I gotta tell y'all, after about thirty minutes of uncertainty I was hooked. It's dark an' atmospheric, the story, set in South France, is simple enough to follow, but complex enough to remain interesting an' innovative. An' is' focused on a character who's hadda life'a hard drugs, hard booze, an' hard times an' seems at the end'a his rope. I hafta agree with what the reviewer Michael Acuna in that Nick Nolte plays this role like it's his last performance ever. The character of Bob Montaigneis an aging gambler and heroin addict, who's masterminding a casino theft in hopes of breakin' his downhill streak of poverty, bad luck an' depression. He's as complicated an' difficult a person to relate to as any, but Nolte plays him in such a way that he becomes a mysterious enigma, spoutin' off stories an' philosophic musings, but never REALLY lettin' us know what it is that makes him feel so empty. Because'a that dark an' cynical aspect of Bob; the anticipation of the actual heist as Bob gathers his team of cohorts who're gonna help him pull the job, all the while with a dogged police inspector breathin' down his neck, has a sense'a dread surroundin' it. But director Neil Jordan tends to end his movies on as unexpected a note as possible, an' 'The Good Thief' was no exception.
Like I said, this movie was hard for me to get into at first, but once you get drawn in, it doesn't let you go. The acting is all superb though Nolte obviously is runnin' the show here (he's burned-out an' reflective, but never overly-cynical, you will LIKE his character). The young newcomer Nutsa Kukhianidze who plays the 17-year-old Bosnian prostitute who comes to stay with Bob, shows several flashes of promise (an' several flashes of another kind), an' Tcheky Karyo as the police inspector as well as the kid who played Bob's worshipful sidekick Paulo (sorry, his name was too hard to remember) both were great support.
This movie ain't gonna be for EVERYBODY. It does fall into that artsy-fartsy category an' as I said you hafta have patience at the start an' not allow yourself to be swayed by the odd an' unorthodox feel. If I'm gonna complain about ANYTHING in this movie, is' that I feel like Bob kicks his heroin habit rather quickly an' rather easily. He seemed to have one night of hardships, an' then he was jus' fine. No relapses, no serious references to it, NOTHING. That bothered me, because the story paints him as this wasted, burned-out junkie who's beyond help by the time he decides to kick, yet then it allows him to kick with no problem. But, other than that one minor infraction, I dug this movie a lot, an' if you wanna get away from the typical fluff Hollywood is churnin' out, then give this a shot.
Movie Review: Nick Nolte Gives A Five Star Performance
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an enjoyable heist film where the character development is the central element rather than the heist itself. If you want nonstop action and complicated plots, watch one of the big budget spectaculars with the marquee names; if you want a well told story then you should enjoy this movie. I highly recommend the initial Amazon reviews (posted in April) as accurately capturing the essence of this film: thus I will not repeat their detail here but strongly suggest that you read a few of them in order to understand the nature of this cinematic endeavor.Nick Nolte is Bob, a burned out heroin addict and former master thief who is recruited to mastermind a Monte Carlo casino heist. Tchecky Karo is Roger, a policeman who is his nemesis and is convinced that there is something being plotted. Nick's sidekick Paolo and a Bosnian prostitute named Anne who is befriended by Nick are the other main characters in a very engaging cast with several of the minor parts adding enjoyable twists to the story. There is the usual misdirection, just the right mix of humorous interludes and enough plot developments to keep the viewer's interest despite the slow pace of the story. The cinematography is excellent and definitely helps the story feel authentic.
My only major reservation is mentioned in jupitergirl's review but deserves emphasis. Both my wife and I found that the dialogue was often hard to understand, especially early in the film until we became accustomed to the accents, inflections, and cadences of the various actors (most of whom with the exception of Nolte were European and unfamiliar to us). In fact our unfamiliarity with the actors also meant that it took us a while to sort out the characters and their roles since they were introduced casually throughout the early part of the film.
This is a well constructed and enjoyable movie, but given the slow pace at which it proceeds you should plan to see it when you just want to relax and see a story gradually unfold. The conclusion is really wonderful, both for its cleverness and sense of irony; it nicely tied together all the storylines. The caper was fun; the film was a pleasurable experience
Movie Review: Nolte le Flambeur
Summary: 4 Stars
Neil Jordan is a master storyteller and filmmaker and also the director of the new Nick Nolte film, "The Good Thief." Nolte plays Bob Montagnet (montaigne): a beat up, past his prime, drug addled, seemingly out of it, former big time thief faced with the prospect and challenge of his final, once in a lifetime heist.Nick Nolte, craggy-faced, whiskey voiced and dripping with charisma plays Bob like it is his final performance ever: his every word is delivered with deathbed earnestness... voluptuous with meaning.
Bob is a man who has come to the realization that his days as a thief and a romancer of women have just about come to an end. And because of this, when he is offered a chance in a lifetime to plan and execute the ultimate heist, he grasps at it with every fiber of his being for he knows there will be no more chances to make his mark .He is a man possessed with self-knowledge enough to know that this is his final chance to collect enough money to live out his days in luxury. Bob Montagnet could not, would not ever live without the finer things in life.
"The Good Thief" was shot in the south of France and in Monte Carlo by Michael Balhaus in gorgeous jewel tones to reflect the luxury of the world in which Bob revolves.
If there is a fault in this film it is in the re-dubbing: the voices do not always blend with the milieu in which they were shot.
"The Good Thief" is a thoughtful portrait of a man at the end of his career who must decide between fading into the sunset with a whimper or going out with a bang; even though that final bang might cost him his life.
As he showed in "The Crying Game" and "End of the Affair," Neil Jordan has an affinity for the disenfranchised, the disaffected, the outcasts of the world. And once again in "The Good Thief" he shows that he can relate and empathize with those who can only survive if they live on the fringes: steadfastly adhering to a code of ethics that they alone can explain and which most of us would be hard pressed to uphold or adhere to.
Movie Review: A Solid Film Noir
Summary: 4 Stars
I am not afraid to admit that I think Nick Nolte is one of the most overrated actors of his generation, but I think that he was really good in "The Good Thief", because he was playing someone so close to himself in real life. A burnt out junkie who is closer to the end of his career than the beginning seems to fit him perfectly. This movie is a heist movie to begin with, and director Neil Jordan shoots it with the appropriate glitz and glamour that a film set in Monte Carlo deserves. He nails the atmosphere, giving the movie a dark, jazzy feel, mixing the styles of the classic films noir and the new reinvention of the style. The plot is good, as it is filled with twists and turns, as any good heist flick should. One thing that should be mentioned is the chemistry between all the characters. The cast is completely European, save Nolte, yet they mesh incredibly well together. The relationship between Bob and Roger the police officer is one of the movie's centerpieces, and their mutual respect and odd friendship is completely believable without too much explanation. Also good in this movie is the girl who plays Anna, and I won't even attempt to spell her name, because it could take up to an hour to get it right. She is as throaty as she is innocent, yet there is an obvious dark side to her character, one that often shines brighter than the innocence of a seventeen year old runaway.
Aside from the crime side of the movie, "The Good Thief" is about rebirth, in all of the characters. They are all ressurecting themselves from their past lives, trying to make good on the lives that still lay ahead of them. All in all, this is a good movie, and should entertain most people who are into this genre until the exciting end.