The Good Thief (2003)

77% of critics liked it
(141 reviews)
56% of users liked it
(6,599 ratings)

Loosely based on Jean-Pierre Melville's French film noir Bob le Flambeur, this heist film from director Neil Jordan (Interview With the Vampire, The Crying Game) stars Nick Nolte as Bob, an aging American thief living in the French city of Nice. Addicted to both heroin and gambling, Bob is in the… More Loosely based on Jean-Pierre Melville's French film noir Bob le Flambeur, this heist film from director Neil Jordan (Interview With the Vampire, The Crying Game) stars Nick Nolte as Bob, an aging American thief living in the French city of Nice. Addicted to both heroin and gambling, Bob is in the midst of an extended personal losing streak when he rescues a new girl in town named Anne (Nutsa Kukhianidze) from her pimp. When the opportunity to steal a fortune in rare paintings from a Monte Carlo casino comes along, Bob hopes for a score big enough to let him retire from his life of crime. His only hindrances are Anne's man troubles and his nemesis, local police chief Roger (Tchéky Karyo). The Good Thief also features acting performances by Emir Kusturica (director of Underground and Arizona Dream) and Ralph Fiennes. ~ Tom Vick, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 48 min.
Directed By: Neil Jordan
Written By: Neil Jordan
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Apr 2, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Aug 19, 2003
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Critic Reviews

Rex Reed, New York Observer
Mr. Jordan has lovingly recreated much of what glittered in the hard French thrillers that once starred Delon and Belmondo, and provided a superbly customized vehicle for the salty charms of ashtray-voiced Nick Nolte.
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
Great fun despite its deficiency as a presumed thriller.
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic
It's a heist film with a muddled plot, a character study with no personality.
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
Rumpled and dissolute, Nolte shambles through this gracefully atmospheric crime film with a cool poignancy that verges on the comic.
David Edelstein, Slate
This is a movie for which you want to give an award to the casting director, Susie Figgis.
Jami Bernard, New York Daily News
With his haggard good looks and bearish presence, Nolte is the main event in this colorful three-ring circus of a heist picture.
Derek Adams, Time Out
While Jordan's repeated freeze-frames try a little too hard for nonchalance, the overall cocktail of Gallic insouciance and American film noir grit delivers such relaxant properties you forgive a few foibles.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Nolte's hard lived, leather-lined face looks like a Muncie road map, and fits robber Bob to each crease.
Jake Euker, F5 (Wichita, KS)
The best and most enjoyable English-language crime picture since Jackie Brown.
Judith Egerton, Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
When it comes to movies about one last, high-stakes score, Nolte in The Good Thief pales next to Gene Hackman's low-keyed brilliance in Heist.
Enrique Buchichio, Uruguay Total
Es casi una película hecha por divertimento, lo cual no está nada mal, pero no hay que pedirle mucho más que eso.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Ao contrário do impecável anti-herói do original, Nick Nolte confere vulnerabilidade ao protagonista e, no processo, leva esta refilmagem a superar a produção de 1955.
Dan Jardine, Cinemania
A fine film: Jordan creates the seedy ambience and Nolte provides the complex performance that together carry this film through a few minor rough patches.
Daniel M. Kimmel, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Watching an actor at the top of his game is a pleasure even if the film is only good, not great.
Josh Gilchrist, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Outside of Nick Nolte's performance, the rest of the film is a by the numbers heist drama
James O'Ehley, Movie Gurus
A heist movie without a thrilling heist is obviously in trouble . . .

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Cynthia S

A movie that tried really hard for the "cool" factor, complete with a "cool" french soundtrack. It's a decent watch. It may have been much better with a better lead? I wasn't buying the suave gambler/thief played by Nick Nolte..but that's just me,… More
A movie that tried really hard for the "cool" factor, complete with a "cool" french soundtrack. It's a decent watch. It may have been much better with a better lead? I wasn't buying the suave gambler/thief played by Nick Nolte..but that's just me, maybe. I'm not really a fan.
Anthony L

A good Heist movie. More stylish than Ocean's 11 but less watchable. Style over content maybe, I mean, what?s with the editing? The pause before every new frame, I don't get it? Still, Nolte makes it worth watching and Neil Jordan is one of the best directors in the world… More
A good Heist movie. More stylish than Ocean's 11 but less watchable. Style over content maybe, I mean, what?s with the editing? The pause before every new frame, I don't get it? Still, Nolte makes it worth watching and Neil Jordan is one of the best directors in the world today. Worth a watch!
danny d

while the story was solid and the end was very good, the script was awful, the acting sub par, and the directing by niel jordan distractingly bad. some give and some take makes for an average film. great semi-cameo by ralph fiennes.
Al S

A stylish, tense, sexy and electrifying crime thriller. Explosive, smart, bold, funny and exciting. Nick Nolte has never been better. Gives his best performance in years. He just gets better as the years go on showing impressive and undeniable star power. A great cast of actors. Ralph… More
A stylish, tense, sexy and electrifying crime thriller. Explosive, smart, bold, funny and exciting. Nick Nolte has never been better. Gives his best performance in years. He just gets better as the years go on showing impressive and undeniable star power. A great cast of actors. Ralph Fiennes and Tchecky Kayrow turn in great performances. An totally enjoyable flick. A excellemt movie. It's one of those rare pieces of film noir that makes for good entertainment pleasure. A smooth, character-driven and absolutely exhilerating flick.
Michael S

I prefer this over Bob La Flambeur.
Remi L

I'll be honest: I only watched this movie because of Said Taghmoui. The story was just so-so for me and I just couldn't take my mind off the bad editing. Every time a scene would end and cut to the next, it would freeze. And not in the artsy way, more like the editors… More
I'll be honest: I only watched this movie because of Said Taghmoui. The story was just so-so for me and I just couldn't take my mind off the bad editing. Every time a scene would end and cut to the next, it would freeze. And not in the artsy way, more like the editors didn't know what they were doing.
Stephen E

"The Good Thief" is an entertaining film that reminded me a lot of another one of Neil Jordan's films, "Mona Lisa." Nick Nolte delivers a strong performance and Jordan's direction is spot-on for most of the time, but the plot is riddled with more holes… More
"The Good Thief" is an entertaining film that reminded me a lot of another one of Neil Jordan's films, "Mona Lisa." Nick Nolte delivers a strong performance and Jordan's direction is spot-on for most of the time, but the plot is riddled with more holes than John Dillinger's body and the editing style is a bit distracting and inconsistent.
Andre T

Starring Nutsa Kukhianidze and Nick Nolte, directed by Neil Jordan. It is a remake of a famous 1955 French film Bob le flambeur, by Jean-Pierre Melville. The film, shot in both Monaco and Nice, France follows a heroin addict, and retired thief through the setup and completion of one… More
Starring Nutsa Kukhianidze and Nick Nolte, directed by Neil Jordan. It is a remake of a famous 1955 French film Bob le flambeur, by Jean-Pierre Melville. The film, shot in both Monaco and Nice, France follows a heroin addict, and retired thief through the setup and completion of one last job.Ralph Fiennes also appears in the film.Very elegant and interesting movie about a job in a Monte Carlo Casino, but the plot is so intrincate that makes me confuse in the end.But is still a good movie.
Linda K

THE GOOD THIEF is a different Jordan's film because of its style. The editing and the quality of the film look similar to the OCEAN's ELEVEN. Nonetheless, this film is much clever and interesting than OCEAN's also because of story and performances. Besides being… More
THE GOOD THIEF is a different Jordan's film because of its style. The editing and the quality of the film look similar to the OCEAN's ELEVEN. Nonetheless, this film is much clever and interesting than OCEAN's also because of story and performances. Besides being categorized as a heist film, the characters have a deep effect to the story because of their background which brings the narrative together. The multicultural cast has a great signifant to the film as well. If any of you like Jordan's films, this one might look different but still capture the essence of human experience.