"Thanks to Jordan's whip-smart dialogue, Chris Menges' dazzling camera work and Nolte's shambling bravura, The Good Thief is as irresistible as its hero." Jason Anderson EYE WEEKLY "Jordan has made a film that is both traditional enough to hold those moviegoers who don't catch its kickiness, and cinematic enough to hook those in thrall of 'camera art.'" Joe Baltake SACRAMENTO BEE "... like a great jazzy remake of an elegant old song." Dawn Taylor PORTLAND TRIBUNE "The Good Thief is a stylized heist film with an accomplished performance by Nick Nolte that celebrates the whimsical moves of Lady Luck in the lives of those who have nothing to lose." Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH "A diamond in the rough, just like Nolte and the character he rode in on." Duane Dudek MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

"A stunning intro for a Georgian (Russia) beauty whose tantalizing assuredness is a major contribution to the movie. Men will swoon (and write rhapsodically) for this engaging seductress..." Filmiliar Cineaste VARIAGATE.COM "It's the kinkiest cast of the year, and everyone works." Harry Haun FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL "It's a special triumph for Nolte." Lou Lumenick NEW YORK POST "If Academy Awards voters are still in a forgiving mood next year, Nolte deserves a best actor nomination." Bruce Kirkland JAM! MOVIES "Extremely smart and cleverly crafted, this heist movie set on the French Riviera will keep you guessing even when you already know the outcome." John Monaghan, DETROIT FREE PRESS

At A Glance

"An Irish director reconfigures an old French film with an American star and a Russian hooker. And it works." Boo Allen DENTON RECORD CHRONICLE

Writer/Director Neil Jordan openly admits that "The Good Thief" was inspired by Jean Pierre Melville’s 1955 film "Bob Le Flambeur" and that the character of Bob in his film was loosely based on the Melvilles anti-hero. But inspiration came from other sources to. “I began working on the script with a bit of circumspection, because I like the original movie a lot and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to do something that was a remake of it. I put it on the back-burner for a long time, thinking it would only be worth it if I could find an angle on the original as ingenious as Bob’s scam,” he said. The interest was rekindled after Jordan read an article in 'Vanity Fair'about the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas which featured art works by Picasso. The art works were incorporated into the Caninos decore to give an upmarket feel. The catch was, no-one would know that what they were seeing on the Casinos walls were just perfect copies. The originals were stored safely away in a vault nearby.It was while reading this article that Jordon remembered another he had read about Japanese Corporations that collected works of art and kept them in temperature controlled vaults while copies of the works adorned the boardrooms. Suddenly it all gelled, why not have two robberies, one on a casino which used art as its main attraction while the other robbery would take place in the vault where the originals were stored. “The idea of an original and a copy had obvious appeal since that was in fact my commissioned task, to make some kind of copy of an original. The thought of two robberies, one apparent and one real had an even greater appeal since I could leave the plot of the original movie intact, as a kind of decoy to the real plot, the real robbery. Theoretically, the original film would weave its way through whatever I was writing and one would act as a kind of mirror to the other,” he explained. With that out of the way and having gained the backing of Warner Bros [who had acquired the rights to "Bob Le Flambeur" from Melvilles estate], all they need now was a cast.
Jordan had recently seen Nick Notle in San Francisco performing with Sean Penn in Sam Shepards stage production “The Late Henry Moss". “After seeing Nick on stage and meeting him afterwards, I just knew he could be Bob, I thought, this is the character I’ve been writing about.” Nolte was delighted to take on the role of Bob. “Nick is a bit tired of playing the game in Hollywood, so he relished the opportunity to play this part. He’s a superb actor. Just as the character began to get its own energy and life on the page, so Nick is so much more like the character than I could ever have imagined. There’s a tremendous amount of dialogue, which he delivers with a punch, speed and intelligence you don’t often get in movies nowadays.” Nolte admitted that he didn't have to do much research on the character Bob. “I’ve lived that life, apart from the heroin. An actor really has no choice but to play himself. You can form and shape it, though. So there’s a bit of Bob, a bit of me, we’re both getting older, and have a bit of trouble functioning. Bob is a wonderful character who can sense the approach of the end of life and there’s not a whole lot left for him to live for. Anne kind of brings Bob back to life. I think it’s wonderful to be around youth. The other young people come up with the idea of the heist, and hope he’ll regain some of his old enthusiasm.” Nolte explained, “Bob’s substitute for the thrill of life is gambling, but now that’s turned bad.” “I think there’s a natural affinity between actors, art and gambling,” he added.
A big part of the 'feel', the substance that makes "The Good Thief" so good of course is that interaction between Bobs long time friend and foes Roger. That role went to one of France’s most popular actors, Tchéky Karyo, seen most recently in "The Core". Karyo is an actor with great talent and a growing international audience appeal. In "The Good Thief" he is smooth as silk. Just the opposite of the rough diamond Bob. “Roger is an ordinary man, not special, not a hero, which is why I wanted to play him. He doesn’t like violence, and would rather look weak to avoid confrontation.” He continues “He’s been on Bob’s case for years, regarding him as ‘a gentleman cambrioleur.’ He likes and admires him and is trying to stop him from making another mistake - warning that his next conviction would put him away for life. In many ways, Bob leads Roger by the nose, but he knows that criminals always slip up,” he says.
The other big influence on Bob comes from a seventeen year old russian girl who has been forced into prostitution. She doesn't know it, but she will be Bobs salvation. That role went to Georgian actress Nutsa Kukhianidze. Neil Jordan together with Stephen Woolley first saw Nutsa Kukhianidze in the feature film "27 Missing Kisses" at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes 2000. The film received great acclaim going on to win more than half a dozen awards. “Her performance was stunning. We loved her corkscrew curls and wonderful voice,” Jordon explained. When she arrived at her London screen test Jordan says, “She did the most fantastic screen test. She has huge talent, amazing energy, commitment and a real empathy with the characters. I put her right up there alongside our other ‘discoveries,’ Cathy Tyson and Jaye Davidson..It’s thrilling to find someone so young, so unexposed; she’s remarkable.”
Nolte agrees, “Nutsa has this wonderful combination of real streetwise savviness and incredible fresh-seeming innocence. When Bob meets Anne, he is pulled out of his downward spiral. A lot of this film and Bob’s world is discovered through her eyes. Here she is getting to know this much older man who is going through withdrawal and she has only just arrived from the Eastern block. She gives him a completely new lease on life. It’s a bit like Beauty and the Beast.” But was she impressed by Nolte? “Working with Nick was such an education.He is a great actor" she says, "so open and friendly, always there to help, just like Bob really.” It's a wonderful contrast to watch the three at work and that is reason enough to see "The Good Thief" on its own, but there is much, much more to be discovered within this enthralling film. Like the great settings, the casino, planning the heist, the hi-tech protection system used in the vault, Bobs heroin addiction and the love that grows between a man and a young girl old enough to be his daughter. But rest assured, this is no cheap production, this film by Neil Jordan has class written all over it. That's what makes "The Good Thief" a cut above other heist films like "Oceans Eleven". The Story

"It's the sort of the film that still makes it worthwhile to go to the movies." Pete Kavadlo FILMSTEW.COM

Bob Montagnet is planning not one, but two heists right under the nose of his old friend Roger who just happens to be a police officer. Roger knows Bob is up to something and he's worried. Deep down there is a strong bond of respect and friendship between these two men and Roger would rather stop him commiting another crime than see him go to jail for the rest of his life. But Bob isn't worried, there's a lot at stake here. First there's a seventeen year old Russian girl named Anne who he's saved from a life of prostitution [and who is deeply attracted to him] and of course there's the money and those priceless art works at the Casino in Monte Carlo he plans to rob. Bob Montagnet embarks on a game of cat and mouse, catch me if you can, assembling his gang and making plans to pull of the biggest job of his criminal life. With Roger hanging around and keeping a watchful eye on him the task isn't easy, but he's getting there. But someone has loose lips and the word has gotten out to the opposition. Then a revenge shooting forces one of the gang members to go into hiding. Roger now has has an informant and a sniff that something big is going down. The Verdict "A classy piece of goods. Nolte produces one of his best performances in years. "The Good Thief" is a smart production that has plenty of appeal, in particular the stunning performance from Nutsa Kukhianidze as Anne. Noltes transformation from Bob the 'down and out junkie' to 'back in business Bob' is heartwarming. "The Good Thief" is one of those films which has you rooting for the baddies. A very entertaining film." The Cast & Crew

Nick Nolte Tchéky Karyo Nutsa Kukhianidze Ouassini Embarek Marc Lavoine Gérard Darmon Saïd Taghmaoui Patricia Kell Julien Maurel Emir Kusturica Roland Munter Warren Zavatta Théo Trifard Sarah Bridges Nicolas Dromard Sergio Candiota Mark Polish Damien Arnone Bobby Dee M'Bale Frédéric Scotto Michael Polish Enzo Iovino Laurent Grevill Ralph Fiennes James Quattrochi

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Bob Montagnet Roger Anne Said Remi Raoul Paulo Yvonne Philippe Vladimer Kozinski Petit Louis Bill Philippa Luigi Fernandez Albert Security Guard Security Guard Chief Security Guard Bertram Croupier Casino Manager Tony Angel Jamie

Directed & Written by Neil Jordan Produced by Stephen Woolley, John Wells and Seaton McLean Executive Producers Neil Jordan, Kristin Harms and Thierry de Navacelle Original Music by Elliot Goldenthal Cinematography by Chris Menges Film Editing by Tony Lawson Casting by Susie Figgis Production Design by Anthony Pratt Set Decoration by Raoul Albert & Robert Le Corre Costume Design by John Norster & Penny Rose Rated MA15+ [AUST] Run Time 108 minutes Copyright ©2003 - Fox Searchlight Pictures - All Rights Reserved Copyright©2003 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved