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April 27 - May 4,2003 |
A character actor worth pursuing
Tcheky Karyo entertains as the good guy in Neil Jordan's film noir The Good Thief
By Angela Baldassarre
Originally Published: 2003-04-13
His name may not mean much to most North American cinephiles, but there's no mistaking his unique face and exceptional talent. Turkish-born, French-raised Tcheky Karyo touched the imagination of cinemagoers worldwide as the spy recruiter who schooled Nikita in the fine art of assassination in Luc Besson's thriller La Femme Nikita.
A seasoned theatre actor with over 50 films under his belt - he's only 50! - Karyo has played everything from a low-key and comically philosophical lover (Addicted to Love) to an over-the-top bad guy (Bad Boys) to a Russian Defense Minister (GoldenEye). This week he's on the big screen in no less than two features, Jon Amiel's action-thriller The Core, and Neil Jordan's film noir heister The Good Thief.
An English-language remake of the 1955 French film, Bob le Flambeur (which translates as Bob the Gambler), The Good Thief tells the story of aging American gambler Bob (Nick Nolte), who tries to rob a casino in the south of France hoping to end his losing streak. As he chooses which cronies to trust and which to feed false information to, Bob sets in motion a complicated and exciting chain of events. Close on his heels is police chief Roger (Karyo), who has a soft spot for his long-suffering friend, and complicating matters is the appearance of 17-year-old junkie Anne (Nutsa Kukhianidze) who raises in Bob some paternal instincts.
Tandem talked to Karyo when he was in Toronto.
Heist films have been made since the beginning of cinema. Why do you think this is so different that you wanted to do it?
"Because the characters are approached as real people, they are not heroes, they can be weak, make mistakes. I like the way Neil [Jordan] chose the rhythm of the movie, the rhythm of the shots, the way the cuts are. He drives your sensitivities, your eyes and ears. You are not used to it. It is like there is a different perspective. It is refreshing, and the dialogues are so right, so together, and yet real."
Would you have liked to play have played Bob?
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