Rating: Summary: "Good Theif" is a Bad Movie Review: This is a movie that I would never want to see a second time--it was bad enough the first time. The plot was difficult to follow and Nolte is a mess even when he is supposed to be "cleaned up." The acting was strained and mostly unbelieveable. Don't waste your money. The movie is a bad "B" version of Ocean's Eleven, but without any interesting characters.
Rating: Summary: Nick Nolte Gives A Five Star Performance Review: 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
Rating: Summary: bad casting; embarassment abounds Review: This movie had a lot to draw in the viewer: good visuals;set- ups; good editing. Unfortunately, the main character, Nolte, seems to be in his deep dotage. His lines are delivered in a monotone; you get no sense whatever of any real persona. I felt sad for Nolte as I watched it (not for more than 20 minutes, I must admit): does he (Nolte) need to be in the hospital?
I don't know why Nolte seemed so less-than-usual, and I am sorry--but he is way not acting on this one. I would give this movie a big zero, cause if you ain't got someone to identify with, you ain't got nothing. If genuine feeling is lacking..why bother?
Rating: Summary: Lousy Plot Review: This movie is called The Good Thief. What about Good Grief? The acting was okay (it seemed easy for Nick Nolte to play himself!) The story was dull and uninspiring. When I bought this movie, I thought it was going to be something like Ocean 11, but it wasn't. Instead, it tried to mesh too many different ideas at once. I'd say the worst part about this movie had to do with the girl Nick Nolte was with. What was her purpose, anyway? No one really says why she is even in the movie. There were times I thought this was a low budget movie. In any case, this is a great movie if you want to feel depressed and feel that you're superior in that you could create something better. But if you don't have that as your purpose, don't rent or buy it. Michael
Rating: Summary: Great movie, looking for the cd Review: This was a fantastic movie. Nolte is wonderful in a relaxed, intriguing role. The supporting characters are believable and the movie flows like great, mellow jazz. This is a film you don't want to miss. I pray the soundtrack comes out on cd, soon.
Rating: Summary: Not on of Jordan's best...but still good. Review: When I read in Film Comment last year that Neil Jordan (who made The Crying Game, one of my all-time favorite films) was making a remake of the great Jean Pierre Melville's classic Bob Le Flembeur, I was very excited but at the same time worried. As most of us who have seen it know, it's one of the greatest crime films ever made (one of Melville's best). Needless to say, this film does the original justice and more. Nick Nolte turns in brilliant performance after performance (just his face is interesting to look at) and this film is no exception. After making a string of bad movies in the early-mid 90's, he bounced back with a haunting role in Affliction and has been on top of his game. Ralph Fiennes makes the most of his short yet memorable role. Jordan's camera prowls and stalks the streets of Monte Carlo like a minx, and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Great photograpy, direction, performances, and screenplay make this (so far) one of the best films of 2003.
Rating: Summary: Indeed, There Is Such A Thing As A Good Thief Review: With humor, honesty and humility, Nolte's main character Bob would singlehandedly make this film worth watching. Add a
great cast, a sensational soundtrack and a good twist on the overdone heist flick sub genre and you have a film worth purchasing.
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