The Good Thief: Review By danteaciampaglia

Believe it or not, there was a time when remaking a film was a risky proposition and was rarely attempted. Ten years ago, it would have been unheard of to remake a classic filmmaking masterpiece from the early Sixties like Charade and inconceivable to imagine remaking a film from the Eighties, like Manhunter. But in the modern climate of moviemaking, where the theatrical release departments of the studios are languishing, anything and everything is fair game. Just look at what's soon to be attacking theaters or currently in production, remakes the likes of The Italian Job, The In-Laws, The Wild Bunch and The Last Samurai.

It doesn't come as a surprise, then, that a classic of French cinema, like Jean-Pierre Melville's "Bob le flambeur," would be appropriated and remade. But, unlike "The Truth about Charlie," Jonathan Demme's ill-conceived remake of Charade, and "Red Dragon," the equally bad remake of Manhunter, The Good Thief, director Neil Jordan's remake of Bob le flambeur, isn't a studio job. This allows Jordan to craft a wonderful film that certainly owes a great deal to Melville's original but also, through Jordan's talents, quite capably stands on its own.

The Good Thief follows the narrative of the original Bob le flambeur very closely. Aging, down-on-his luck gambler Bob Montagnet (Nick Nolte), living in Paris, roams from gambling dives to nightclubs, looking for a winning hand a quick score of potent narcotic. When we first meet him, Bob's hopped up but with some hold on his senses - he stops petty crook Said (Ouassini Embarek) from murdering police captain Roger (Tch