Fans of Nick Nolte's gruff persona and gravelly delivery will find much to love in this heist film by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game). While the plot is fairly routine, and the movie moves along in fits-and-starts, never gaining any real momentum, the script serves up enough quirky touches which keep the film interesting most of the time.

Nolte plays Bob, a good-hearted but down-on-his-luck former thief who now hangs out among low-lifes in France, and fighting addictions to both gambling and heroin. Despite his personal problems, he's well-liked and respected, even by the local police chief, Roger (Tcheky Karyo), who's waiting for the chance to nail Bob if he slips up and returns to his criminal ways. Shortly after he rescues a wayward teen prostitute, Anne (Nutsa Kukhianidze) from her pimp, Bob hits rock-bottom. When he's later offered the opportunity to plan an art heist from a Monte Carlo casino, Bob sees this as his last chance to score big and retire. He decides to clean himself up and go for it. Much of the latter half of the film involves Bob recruiting an assortment of trusted friends to help out, as well as plan the intricate job itself. Meanwhile, Roger is just one step behind, ready to pounce. The Good Thief is, for the most part, pretty well done. Just when the interest level begins to wane (and this sometimes meandering movie, it happens quite often), something happens to steer it back on track, mostly because of Jordan's excellent direction. There's some pretty good stuff here. The paternal instincts Bob develops for Anne are emotionally satisfying, and he antagonistic/loving relationship between Bob and Roger is amusing. The climax is pretty unconventional for such a deriative plot, and includes a pretty nifty twist. However, the movie sometimes gets sidetracked, and we're forced to spend time with characters who have no real purpose, such as the scenes involving the art dealer (Ralph Fiennes, who's unbilled) who buys a "Picasso" from Bob; these scenes set-up an expected payoff or resolution that never happens. I also have issues with the segment in which Bob kicks heroin; he simply handcuffs himself to a bedpost for a few days and, BOOM... he's clean. The whole addiction subplot is conveniently abandoned afterwards. While the performances are all pretty good, the myriad thick accents often render the dialogue unintelligible. The same goes for Nolte's performance; with every picture, he sounds like he's got more and more mucous in his lungs, making it tough to know what the hell he's saying. I'm not sure if I mean this as a criticism or not, but ever since 48HRS, he's played the same gruff, disheveled and world-weary protagonist so many times that he can practically do it in his sleep.

The film is presented in both 1.85:1 widescreen and includes a fullscreen version on the flipside. For the most part, the transfer looks really good. There's a bit of grain, especially during the opening titles, but it's pretty free of blemishes or scratches. The soundtrack is presented in English 5.1 surround and Spanish 2.0 surround; both tracks are pretty clear, free of distortion. I do find it interesting that a film shot in France, featuring a primarily French cast, doesn't offer a French language track.

Fox includes a decent good helping of extras, though nothing as comprehensive as some of their high-profile releases. There's an adequate full-length audio commentary by director Neil Jordan, in which he offers some interesting info; fans of the director will enjoy what he has to say. Also included are some deleted scenes, trailers, and a short making-of featurette, which is little more than a promotional video. Similar films: The Score, The Italian Job, Heat, Bob le Flambeur (the inspiration for The Good Thief)

Despite the art-heist premise, The Good Thief is more of a character study than an action film (anyone expecting a slam-bang climax will be disappointed). While the title character is fairly interesting, he isn't really anything we haven't seen before. The film does serve nicely as a showcase of Nolte's talent, and his fans will certainly enjoy that.