:: The Good Thief ::

* * 1/2

I suppose an alcoholic must think every film is about booze, on some level; I know it seems like I can't watch a movie without seeing at least one gambling reference, a sign, I suppose, that I should be doing something better with my time: Driving to Vegas, logging on to Poker Stars, or heading up to my favorite local indian tribe. I think it is evidence of my growth as an individual that I have reached a point where I can actually go to a film with an overt gambling theme, sit through it, and then go home, without a stop in a poker room along the way. But if I could resist my pathologies while under the influence of this film, perhaps that makes the film a failure?

It's no glaring success, in any event. Much of the film seems empty, despite another great performance by Nick Nolte (I'm thinking I might have to start considering myself a fan), and a supporting effort by Tcheky Karyo. Director Neil Jordan seems to feel pressure to justify his retelling of Bob le flambeur, adding an eclectic musical score and flashy, and for the most part annoying, editing. It's unfortunate he didn't count on straight storytelling, and the more gentle eccentricities he introduces, to carry the film on their own right. The Polish Brothers, in a small but important role, are one of the more delightful surprises of the kind; some work quite well, some don't.

But despite these efforts, successful or not in their own right, they do not overall justify this film's existence. So now it's Nick Nolte's turn to be down on his luck, trying for one big score. There are some nice twists along the way, but it feels like we've been down these tracks before. Anne (Nutsa Kukhianidze), as the requisite girl, is particularly grating, like a sissified Luc Besson heroine.

But to get back to the gambling, the only part I really care about, how did the film deliver on that level? Quite well, it turns out. The films climax in Monte Carlo is the culmination of the heist plot, of course, but it also offers plenty of excitement for anyone whose pulse races at the thought of donning an Italian suit and playing for high stakes in the salons of Monte Carlo. Nolte initiating Kukhianidze in this foreign world, the quiet, dignified panic always just underneath the pit crew's bored facade, flop sweat on the upper lip. It's likely to be a small payout for most, but for me it was enough. It's hard to recommend The Good Thief, but its hard not to love Monte Carlo.