Being called the French Hitchcock does Claude Chabrol a disservice, as his dark thrillers approach mystery and suspense almost completely through character, not cinematics. These three very good 1990s productions are completely different in tone and approach, and each showcases a stunning French actress.
Betty, Torment (L’enfer), The Swindle (Rien ne vas plus)
Blu-ray
3 Classic Films by Claude Chabrol
Cohen Film Collection
1992,1994,1997 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 103, 102, 105 min. / Street Date February 21, 2017 / 49.99
Starring Marie Trintignant, Stéphane Audran, Jean-François Garreaud, Yves Lambrecht; Emmanuelle Béart, François Cluzet, Nathalie Cardone, Dora Doll; Isabelle Huppert, Michel Serrault, François Cluzet, Jean-François Balmer.
Cinematography: Bernard Zitermann; Bernard Zitermann, Eduardo Serra
Film Editor: Monique Fardoulis (x3)
Original Music: Matthieu Chabrol (x3)
Written by Claude Chabrol from a novel by Georges Simenon; Claude Chabrol from a script by Henri-Georges Clouzot; Claude Chabrol
Produced by Marin Karmitz (x3)
Directed by Claude Chabrol (x3)
Not all Claude Chabrol films are equal, but...
Betty, Torment (L’enfer), The Swindle (Rien ne vas plus)
Blu-ray
3 Classic Films by Claude Chabrol
Cohen Film Collection
1992,1994,1997 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 103, 102, 105 min. / Street Date February 21, 2017 / 49.99
Starring Marie Trintignant, Stéphane Audran, Jean-François Garreaud, Yves Lambrecht; Emmanuelle Béart, François Cluzet, Nathalie Cardone, Dora Doll; Isabelle Huppert, Michel Serrault, François Cluzet, Jean-François Balmer.
Cinematography: Bernard Zitermann; Bernard Zitermann, Eduardo Serra
Film Editor: Monique Fardoulis (x3)
Original Music: Matthieu Chabrol (x3)
Written by Claude Chabrol from a novel by Georges Simenon; Claude Chabrol from a script by Henri-Georges Clouzot; Claude Chabrol
Produced by Marin Karmitz (x3)
Directed by Claude Chabrol (x3)
Not all Claude Chabrol films are equal, but...
- 2/21/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
NBC licensed the first season of Crossing Lines and aired it during the summer of 2013. It didn't perform well in the ratings so the network cancelled the show. However, it was a success in other international markets so a second season was produced.
First season regulars William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine, Tom Wlaschiha, Gabriella Pession and Richard Flood returned, along with Lara Rossi, who was introduced late in the first season. Guest stars for the season include Carrie-Anne Moss and Ray Stevenson.
(more…)...
First season regulars William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine, Tom Wlaschiha, Gabriella Pession and Richard Flood returned, along with Lara Rossi, who was introduced late in the first season. Guest stars for the season include Carrie-Anne Moss and Ray Stevenson.
(more…)...
- 1/20/2015
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
On Crossing Lines, the special crime unit is comprised of highly trained investigators. NBC is hoping that viewers will want to watch this new action series and that the ratings are high as well. Will they want the show back for a second season? Stay tuned!
Crossing Lines airs on Sunday nights and there are 10 episodes. The cast includes William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine, Gabriella Pession, Moon Dailly, Richard Flood, and Tom Wlaschiha.
Below are the TV show's ratings for the Summer 2013 season, typically the best way to tell if a show will be cancelled or renewed for another season. These figures will be updated as the weeks progress so you can check on how it's doing.
Update: Crossing Lines has been renewed for a second season but NBC hasn't decided to air it yet.
Crossing Lines airs on Sunday nights and there are 10 episodes. The cast includes William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine, Gabriella Pession, Moon Dailly, Richard Flood, and Tom Wlaschiha.
Below are the TV show's ratings for the Summer 2013 season, typically the best way to tell if a show will be cancelled or renewed for another season. These figures will be updated as the weeks progress so you can check on how it's doing.
Update: Crossing Lines has been renewed for a second season but NBC hasn't decided to air it yet.
- 8/30/2013
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
France’s TF1 and Sony Pictures Television Networks have renewed Crossing Lines for a second season.
There will be 12 episodes this time around (vs 10 episodes in season one) and production will begin on September 22nd. Locations will include France, the Czech Republic, Monte Carlo and Bulgaria.
Regulars William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine, Tom Wlaschiha, Gabriella Pession and Richard Flood will all return, along with Lara Rossi, who was introduced late in the first season. Guest stars will include Carrie-Anne Moss and Ray Stevenson.
Crossing Lines has been very popular internationally, airing in over 180 territories. It hasn't been a big hit here in the states however.
NBC aired the series on Sunday nights this summer to poor ratings. The season finale registered just a 0.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 2.06 million viewers --...
There will be 12 episodes this time around (vs 10 episodes in season one) and production will begin on September 22nd. Locations will include France, the Czech Republic, Monte Carlo and Bulgaria.
Regulars William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine, Tom Wlaschiha, Gabriella Pession and Richard Flood will all return, along with Lara Rossi, who was introduced late in the first season. Guest stars will include Carrie-Anne Moss and Ray Stevenson.
Crossing Lines has been very popular internationally, airing in over 180 territories. It hasn't been a big hit here in the states however.
NBC aired the series on Sunday nights this summer to poor ratings. The season finale registered just a 0.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 2.06 million viewers --...
- 8/30/2013
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Last night, NBC aired the finale of Crossing Lines. The season ended on a cliffhanger that has viewers itching for season two. Will the show be renewed, or will it be cancelled instead?
Crossing Lines follows a former NYPD officer who's become addicted to morphine and ends up working as a trash collector for a carnival in the Netherlands. The International Criminal Court recognizes his worth and recruits him to help investigate crimes that cross international borders.
The show stars William Fichtner, Marc Lavoine, Gabriella Pession, Tom Wlaschiha, Moon Dailly, Richard Flood, and Donald Sutherland.
The police procedural series debuted June 23rd to a disappointing 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 4.38 million viewers. The first hour ranked a distant third in its timeslot, easily beaten by a rerun of Fox's Family Guy and the debut of Whodunnit? on ABC.
Crossing Lines follows a former NYPD officer who's become addicted to morphine and ends up working as a trash collector for a carnival in the Netherlands. The International Criminal Court recognizes his worth and recruits him to help investigate crimes that cross international borders.
The show stars William Fichtner, Marc Lavoine, Gabriella Pession, Tom Wlaschiha, Moon Dailly, Richard Flood, and Donald Sutherland.
The police procedural series debuted June 23rd to a disappointing 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 4.38 million viewers. The first hour ranked a distant third in its timeslot, easily beaten by a rerun of Fox's Family Guy and the debut of Whodunnit? on ABC.
- 8/19/2013
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Network: NBC
Episodes: Ongoing (hour)
Seasons: Ongoing
TV show dates: June 23, 2013 -- Tbd
Series status: Has not been cancelled
Performers include: William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine, Gabriella Pession, Moon Dailly, Richard Flood, and Tom Wlaschiha.
TV show description:
An action crime drama, this series taps into a unit mandated by the International Criminal Court (Icc) to investigate cross-border crimes, ultimately bringing global criminals to justice. Set in the world's most exotic locales, an elite team of eager cops work to solve notorious international crimes.
Through globalization, many countries have been opened and barriers removed to ensure easy trade, travel and cultural diversity. However, this openness has given opportunities to criminals looking to exploit the system and ultimately threaten our global safety. As Europe has become a "safe house" for criminals eluding law enforcers,...
Episodes: Ongoing (hour)
Seasons: Ongoing
TV show dates: June 23, 2013 -- Tbd
Series status: Has not been cancelled
Performers include: William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine, Gabriella Pession, Moon Dailly, Richard Flood, and Tom Wlaschiha.
TV show description:
An action crime drama, this series taps into a unit mandated by the International Criminal Court (Icc) to investigate cross-border crimes, ultimately bringing global criminals to justice. Set in the world's most exotic locales, an elite team of eager cops work to solve notorious international crimes.
Through globalization, many countries have been opened and barriers removed to ensure easy trade, travel and cultural diversity. However, this openness has given opportunities to criminals looking to exploit the system and ultimately threaten our global safety. As Europe has become a "safe house" for criminals eluding law enforcers,...
- 6/30/2013
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
In the new NBC drama "Crossing Lines" (Sunday at 9 p.m.), character actor William Fichtner plays Carl Hickman, a legendary former NYPD detective, whose career ended with a disability. He now lives in a trailer behind an Amsterdam carnival and has a job picking up trash with a stick, which seems about all he's capable of, physically or emotionally, until French colleague Louis Daniel (Marc Lavoine) recruits him for a new, extra-fancy international crime task force. This group, consisting of cops from France, England, Ireland, Germany and other countries, will investigate crimes that transcend any one jurisdiction, with each member providing...
- 6/22/2013
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
NBC will wheel out the summer drama series .Crossing Lines. - set to launch Sunday, June 23 with a special two-hour premiere (9-11 p.m. Et). July 11 is the debut date for its two new summer alternative series .The Winner Is .. (9-10 p.m. Et) and .Hollywood Game Night. (10-11 p.m. Et). Each will air weekly on Thursday nights. From NBC .Crossing Lines,. from creator Edward Bernero, taps into the charter of the International Criminal Court to investigate serialized cross-border crimes and to hunt down global criminals. The series stars William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine, Gabriella Pession, Tom Wlaschiha, Moon Dailly and Richard Flood. The series is produced by Tandem Communications, Bernero Productions, in co-production with TF1 Production/TF1 Network...
- 4/26/2013
- by April Neale
- Monsters and Critics
NBC has set its premiere dates for its new scripted drama series from creator Edward Bernero ("Criminal Minds") in June and alternative series The Winner Is…" and "Hollywood Game Night," hosted by Nick Lachey and Jane Lynch, respectively. Sony Pictures TV's "Crossing Lines" debuts with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, June 23 at 9 p.m. before airing its regular time slot at 10 p.m. beginning June 30. It explores cases from the International Criminal Court and the people who track down global criminals. It stars William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine, Gabriella...
- 4/25/2013
- by Jethro Nededog
- The Wrap
NBC has picked up U.S. TV rights to the one-hour action-crime series Crossing Lines, from German producer Tandem Communications (The Pillars Of The Earth) and Ed Bernero’s Bernero Prods. The 10-episode series will air this summer. Created, developed and executive produced by former Criminal Minds showrunner Bernero and Tandem president Rola Bauer, Crossing Lines taps into the charter of the International Criminal Court to investigate serialized cross-border crimes and to hunt down global criminals. It stars William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine, Gabriella Pession, Tom Wlaschiha, Moon Dailly and Richard Flood. “We’re making scripted projects a priority for our summer lineup, and this is a great fit,” NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt. The series is a co-production with TF1 Production/TF1 Network and commissioned by Sony Pictures TV Networks. It also has been acquired by Germany’s Sat.1 and Italian public broadcaster Rai. Bernero, a former police officer-turned TV writer-producer,...
- 3/20/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
NBC has picked up U.S. broadcast rights to Crossing Lines a one-hour action crime series from Criminal Minds producers Bernero Productions and Munich-based Tandem Communications (The Pillars of the Earth) which stars William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland and Marc Lavoine. The procedural will join previously ordered drama Camp on NBC's summer schedule. Crossing Lines, which also stars Gabriella Pession, Tom Wlaschiha, Moon Dailly and Richard Flood, is a cross-boarder crime drama in which a special unit of criminal investigators working with the International Criminal Court hunt down global criminals and bring them to justice. “We’re making scripted
read more...
read more...
- 3/20/2013
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NBC has acquired the U.S. television rights to the one-hour action-crime series .Crossing Lines,. from producers Tandem Communications (.The Pillars of the Earth., .World Without End.) and Bernero Productions (.Criminal Minds,. .Third Watch.). The network will air 10 episodes beginning in summer 2013. From NBC .Crossing Lines. was created and developed by Edward Allen Bernero and Tandem president Rola Bauer. Both serve as executive producers. Set in exotic locations, .Crossing Lines. taps into the charter of the International Criminal Court to investigate serialized cross-border crimes and to hunt down global criminals. The series stars William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine, Gabriella Pession, Tom Wlaschiha, Moon Dailly and Richard Flood. .We.re making scripted projects a priority for our...
- 3/20/2013
- by April Neale
- Monsters and Critics
Old Boy
Nate Parker ("Arbitrage," "Red Hook Summer") is in talks to join Spike Lee's remake of Chan-wook Park's Korean revenge thriller "Oldboy." Parker is in talks to play a doctor who works with Elizabeth Olsen's character.
Josh Brolin stars as a man who is kidnapped and imprisoned for more than a decade for unknown reasons. Sharlto Copley and Samuel L. Jackson also star. [Source: Variety]
Nymphomaniac
Udo Kier recently confirmed that he’ll be re-teaming with Lars von Trier for the director’s next project, "Nymphomaniac".
Kier's role is unknown at this point. Kier worked with von Trier on last year's "Melancholia". [Source: Dread Central]
Crossing Lines
William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine and Genevieve O’Reilly are amongst the names to sign on for Ed Bernero's new action/crime drama series "Crossing Lines". Shooting kicks off at the end of the month in France and the Czech Republic.
The story...
Nate Parker ("Arbitrage," "Red Hook Summer") is in talks to join Spike Lee's remake of Chan-wook Park's Korean revenge thriller "Oldboy." Parker is in talks to play a doctor who works with Elizabeth Olsen's character.
Josh Brolin stars as a man who is kidnapped and imprisoned for more than a decade for unknown reasons. Sharlto Copley and Samuel L. Jackson also star. [Source: Variety]
Nymphomaniac
Udo Kier recently confirmed that he’ll be re-teaming with Lars von Trier for the director’s next project, "Nymphomaniac".
Kier's role is unknown at this point. Kier worked with von Trier on last year's "Melancholia". [Source: Dread Central]
Crossing Lines
William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine and Genevieve O’Reilly are amongst the names to sign on for Ed Bernero's new action/crime drama series "Crossing Lines". Shooting kicks off at the end of the month in France and the Czech Republic.
The story...
- 9/4/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Exclusive: Prison Break alum William Fichtner, Marc Lavoine (The Good Thief), Gabriella Pession (Wilfred), Tom Wlaschiha (Game Of Thrones), Genevieve O’Reilly (Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge Of The Sith), Richard Flood (Titanic: Blood & Steel) and Donald Sutherland are set to star in Crossing Lines, Tandem Communications‘ action/crime drama series created by former Criminal Minds showrunner Ed Bernero. Daniel Percival (Strike Back) will direct the first three episodes of Crossing Lines‘ 10-episode first season, which follows the workings of a special crime unit set up by the International Criminal Court to investigate serialized crimes that cross European borders and to hunt down criminals to bring them to justice. Filming will begin September 26 on location in France and the Czech Republic. Bernero executive produces and serves as head writer, with Rachel Anthony (Mistresses) and Oliver Hein-Macdonald (The Passion Of Darkly Noon) set as co-writers. Moritz Polter (Labyrinth), Charles Caroll...
- 9/4/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Lorber Films have acquired U.S. rights to Tony Gatlif's WWII drama "Korkoro," starring Marie Josée Croze ("Tell No One") and Marc Lavoine ("The Good Thief"). Based on historical events, the film tracks a tribe of Gypsies rounded up by the Germans during the war in France. Lorber plans to theatrically premiere "Korkoro" on March 25 at the Cinema Village in New York, followed by a rollout to select cities nation ...
- 2/23/2011
- Indiewire
Eva Longoria Parker attending the Par Coeur Gala 2010 in Paris, France.Photo copyright by Pixplanete / PR Photos. Robert Pires and Jessica Pires attending the Par Coeur Gala 2010 in Paris, France.Photo copyright by Pixplanete / PR Photos. Eric Judor attending the Par Coeur Gala 2010 in Paris, France.Photo copyright by Pixplanete / PR Photos. Marc Lavoine and Sarah Lavoine attending the Par Coeur Gala 2010 in Paris, France.Photo copyright by Pixplanete / PR Photos. Robert Pires attending the Par Coeur Gala 2010 in Paris, France.Photo copyright by Pixplanete / PR Photos. 09/20/2010 - Eva Longoria Parker - Par Coeur Gala 2010 - Arrivals - Pavillon Cambon Capucines - Paris, France © Pixplanete / PR...
- 9/22/2010
- by James Wray
- Monsters and Critics
French Men
Pierre Javaux Prods.
Montreal World Film Festival
MONTREAL -- Former film journalist and scriptwriter Marc Esposito's directorial debut was a big crowd-pleaser in French-speaking Montreal, where it played in competition. The dialogue is often witty and performances are certainly crisp, but a very talky script (by Esposito) and a story line that focuses wholly on domestic ructions will mean that it's too ordinary a picture to do much business outside of French-speaking territories.
"French Men" details the various midlife crises of four male friends: Alex (Marc Lavoine), a habitual philanderer whose sexploits are starting to interfere with his otherwise happy marriage
Jeff (Gerard Darmon), a separated fiftysomething who's having a fun-filled relationship with a much younger woman
Manu (Jean-Pierre Darroussin), a lonely shopkeeper who falls into an unexpected affair
and Antoine (Bernard Campan), a troubled husband who ditches his wife when he discovers that she had a one-night stand. The story follows each of their adventures and uses the distressed Antoine's marital strife -- should he or shouldn't he divorce? -- as an emotional core.
The script offers an impressive array of one-liners, and the ensemble cast works hard to keep things moving. All four men come across as quite charming in spite of their peccadilloes, and the setup would have certainly have made an attractive television drama. But on the big screen, the material's just too thin. More backstory about how they all met and managed to remain friends despite differing lifestyles would have helped add depth.
"French Men" is very much a "boy's own" film. Women are presented as an array of stereotypes which include jealous wives, adoring younger girlfriends, sexy office flirts and the like. Jeff's girlfriend even pretends to be a machine so that he can rewind her to give him a hug, a scene which sums up the film's attitude toward women.
Structurally, Esposito manages to interlock the four stories with some skill. But last year's Montreal crowd-pleaser "See How They Run" -- also a French-language ensemble piece -- examined similar problems with more verve and originality.
Montreal World Film Festival
MONTREAL -- Former film journalist and scriptwriter Marc Esposito's directorial debut was a big crowd-pleaser in French-speaking Montreal, where it played in competition. The dialogue is often witty and performances are certainly crisp, but a very talky script (by Esposito) and a story line that focuses wholly on domestic ructions will mean that it's too ordinary a picture to do much business outside of French-speaking territories.
"French Men" details the various midlife crises of four male friends: Alex (Marc Lavoine), a habitual philanderer whose sexploits are starting to interfere with his otherwise happy marriage
Jeff (Gerard Darmon), a separated fiftysomething who's having a fun-filled relationship with a much younger woman
Manu (Jean-Pierre Darroussin), a lonely shopkeeper who falls into an unexpected affair
and Antoine (Bernard Campan), a troubled husband who ditches his wife when he discovers that she had a one-night stand. The story follows each of their adventures and uses the distressed Antoine's marital strife -- should he or shouldn't he divorce? -- as an emotional core.
The script offers an impressive array of one-liners, and the ensemble cast works hard to keep things moving. All four men come across as quite charming in spite of their peccadilloes, and the setup would have certainly have made an attractive television drama. But on the big screen, the material's just too thin. More backstory about how they all met and managed to remain friends despite differing lifestyles would have helped add depth.
"French Men" is very much a "boy's own" film. Women are presented as an array of stereotypes which include jealous wives, adoring younger girlfriends, sexy office flirts and the like. Jeff's girlfriend even pretends to be a machine so that he can rewind her to give him a hug, a scene which sums up the film's attitude toward women.
Structurally, Esposito manages to interlock the four stories with some skill. But last year's Montreal crowd-pleaser "See How They Run" -- also a French-language ensemble piece -- examined similar problems with more verve and originality.
- 7/9/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Good Thief
"The Good Thief" takes place in the twisted, twilight world of a French Riviera populated by junkie gamblers, East European prostitutes, slippery North African criminals, shady Spaniards, Russian mafiosi, overwhelmed French cops, desperate thieves, sleazy nightclubs and a casino ripe for robbing. So what's not to like? By inventing a milieu that duplicates and expands on the 1955 French caper film "Bob le flambeur", writer-director Neil Jordan creates a dark fantasy certain to seduce lovers of the cinema of excess.
While perhaps not to everyone's taste, "The Good Thief" is a striking entertainment that may prove highly commercial. Think of it as the dark underbelly of "Ocean's Eleven", where freshly scrubbed American stars cavort in a pastiche of heist comedy-dramas. This one contains a scruffy international cast all playing deformed versions of their sleek Yank counterparts, characters ranging from a transsexual bodybuilder to a strangely innocent hooker.
Inspired by Jean Pierre Melville's black-and-white "Bob le flambeur", itself a kind of precursor to the French New Wave, Jordan has relegated its gambler-thief to an imaginary Nice where Bob, a witty, cynical ex-thief, has reinvented himself as a drug addict and hopeless gambler on a long losing streak.
Nick Nolte convinces you no one else could have wrung so much from this role. Bob never stops talking, and Jordan has given him some of the best dialogue he's ever written, about gambling, mathematical theory, art criticism, pop music and tall tales about his family background. Nolte's rumpled charm and white-knight-in-rogue's-clothes recalls the best of Bogie, Mitchum and Belmondo.
No one hits bottom as flamboyantly and nonchalantly as Bob. The ladies of his life are horses and heroin, someone notes, and when one runs out, he turns to the other. Bob chooses the moment when he has lost everything to pick a fight with vicious nightclub owner Remi (Marc Lavoine) and attract the attention of his old nemesis Roger (Tcheky Karyo), a cop who needs a crook like Bob to exist.
Two things pull him out of this spiral: Anne (Georgia-born actress Nutsa Kukhianidze in a stunning performance), a weary, amoral teen prostitute whose beauty captivates Bob, and his pals, the practical Raoul (Gerard Darmon) and hero-worshipping Paulo (Said Taghmaoui), who draft him into a scheme to rob a Monte Carlo casino.
Only it's a fake heist. The first heist, certain to get tipped off to the police, is a cover for the real one, the theft of a collection of Impressionist paintings housed by the casino. Their accomplice is a stocky, music-loving genius named Vladimir (director Emir Kusturica), who installed the security system. Bob simply has to finance the operation by selling a beloved Picasso to a shady art dealer (Ralph Fiennes). But is it a fake, too?
Events keep throwing things off course. Bob has factored in a betrayal -- indeed, the plans call for it -- but he gets more than he bargains for. Then a casino security guard, who has an unknown twin, comes to Bob with his own plan to rob the joint. (The filmmaking twins Mark and Michael Polish deftly play these roles).
Gifted cinematographer Chris Menges conspires with Jordan to fabricate a dreamy landscape where the camera is always in motion yet the frame can slow down or even freeze. Editor Tony Lawson's jump-cuts add to the impressionism.
THE GOOD THIEF
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Alliance Atlantis present a Stephen Woolley/John Wells/Alliance Atlantis production
Credits:
Writer-director: Neil Jordan
Producers: Stephen Woolley, John Wells, Seaton McLean
Executive producers: Kristin Harms, Neil Jordan, Thierry De Navacelle
Director of photography: Chris Menges
Production designer: Anthony Pratt
Music: Elliot Goldenthal
Costume designer: Penny Rose
Editor: Tony Lawson
Cast:
Bob: Nick Nolte
Roger: Tcheky Karyo
Paulo: Said Taghmaoui
Anne: Nutsa Kukhianidze
Raoul: Gerard Darmon
Remi: Marc Lavoine
Tony Angel: Ralph Fiennes
Vladimir: Emir Kusturica
Running time -- 109 minutes
No MPAA rating...
While perhaps not to everyone's taste, "The Good Thief" is a striking entertainment that may prove highly commercial. Think of it as the dark underbelly of "Ocean's Eleven", where freshly scrubbed American stars cavort in a pastiche of heist comedy-dramas. This one contains a scruffy international cast all playing deformed versions of their sleek Yank counterparts, characters ranging from a transsexual bodybuilder to a strangely innocent hooker.
Inspired by Jean Pierre Melville's black-and-white "Bob le flambeur", itself a kind of precursor to the French New Wave, Jordan has relegated its gambler-thief to an imaginary Nice where Bob, a witty, cynical ex-thief, has reinvented himself as a drug addict and hopeless gambler on a long losing streak.
Nick Nolte convinces you no one else could have wrung so much from this role. Bob never stops talking, and Jordan has given him some of the best dialogue he's ever written, about gambling, mathematical theory, art criticism, pop music and tall tales about his family background. Nolte's rumpled charm and white-knight-in-rogue's-clothes recalls the best of Bogie, Mitchum and Belmondo.
No one hits bottom as flamboyantly and nonchalantly as Bob. The ladies of his life are horses and heroin, someone notes, and when one runs out, he turns to the other. Bob chooses the moment when he has lost everything to pick a fight with vicious nightclub owner Remi (Marc Lavoine) and attract the attention of his old nemesis Roger (Tcheky Karyo), a cop who needs a crook like Bob to exist.
Two things pull him out of this spiral: Anne (Georgia-born actress Nutsa Kukhianidze in a stunning performance), a weary, amoral teen prostitute whose beauty captivates Bob, and his pals, the practical Raoul (Gerard Darmon) and hero-worshipping Paulo (Said Taghmaoui), who draft him into a scheme to rob a Monte Carlo casino.
Only it's a fake heist. The first heist, certain to get tipped off to the police, is a cover for the real one, the theft of a collection of Impressionist paintings housed by the casino. Their accomplice is a stocky, music-loving genius named Vladimir (director Emir Kusturica), who installed the security system. Bob simply has to finance the operation by selling a beloved Picasso to a shady art dealer (Ralph Fiennes). But is it a fake, too?
Events keep throwing things off course. Bob has factored in a betrayal -- indeed, the plans call for it -- but he gets more than he bargains for. Then a casino security guard, who has an unknown twin, comes to Bob with his own plan to rob the joint. (The filmmaking twins Mark and Michael Polish deftly play these roles).
Gifted cinematographer Chris Menges conspires with Jordan to fabricate a dreamy landscape where the camera is always in motion yet the frame can slow down or even freeze. Editor Tony Lawson's jump-cuts add to the impressionism.
THE GOOD THIEF
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Alliance Atlantis present a Stephen Woolley/John Wells/Alliance Atlantis production
Credits:
Writer-director: Neil Jordan
Producers: Stephen Woolley, John Wells, Seaton McLean
Executive producers: Kristin Harms, Neil Jordan, Thierry De Navacelle
Director of photography: Chris Menges
Production designer: Anthony Pratt
Music: Elliot Goldenthal
Costume designer: Penny Rose
Editor: Tony Lawson
Cast:
Bob: Nick Nolte
Roger: Tcheky Karyo
Paulo: Said Taghmaoui
Anne: Nutsa Kukhianidze
Raoul: Gerard Darmon
Remi: Marc Lavoine
Tony Angel: Ralph Fiennes
Vladimir: Emir Kusturica
Running time -- 109 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 9/9/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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