ThiefHott Too much of everything

Hottoceame The Age of Commercialism

UnowPriceless hyped garbage

MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

bandw For a movie that is more than a half century old this is surprisingly engaging. It proves that primary interest is driven by story rather than special effects.Jean Gabin plays Max, a fifty year old man who wants to get out of the crime business after having netted some 200 pounds of gold in a recent heist. Max has the gold stored away and a connection to fence the goods. This is an interesting twist for the start of a crime movie--the big heist has already taken place. But, not to worry, Max's partner in crime, Riton, leaks the information about the gold to his woman friend Josy (played by a young Jeanne Moreau); Josy deserts Riton and takes up with Angelo, a local drug dealer. Angelo finds out about the gold from Josy and the game is on as to who will wind up with the loot.Gabin plays Max as the ultimate sophisticated and cool character and Riton is Max's lovable but more impulsive sidekick. Riton and Max have been together for over twenty years and there is clear affection between them--Max refers to Riton as "Porcupine Head." Their friendship is central to the story. There are scenes that I think make this movie unique in the annals of crime drama. For example, when Max and Riton retire to Max's secret apartment to discuss the situation vis-à-vis Angelo, what we get is a quite domestic scene. Instead of yelling at Riton about his lack of discipline the two sit down and talk over wine, pâté, and crackers. Later Max brings out bedclothes for Riton and in separate scenes we watch Max and then Riton brush his teeth, not a common occurrence in crime dramas. I can't imagine any of these scenes being in a contemporary movie, but here they effectively illustrate the closeness between the two friends.The print on the Criterion Collection DVD is without blemish. I imagine no small effort went into restoring the original.The story unfolds at a pace to keep your interest. There are no showy camera angles or other arty effects, but there is some nice black and white photography. I found the ending most satisfying.

markku-oksanen-2 This movie is undoubtedly the best movie in the world ever. I've seen it about 10 times over the years, and every time it is fresh and fascinating. It's so beautiful but bad story about friendship and betrayal between two elderly gangsters, but it is also a story about aging and disappointment.Jean Gabin's performance is the crowning jewel of this gem of a film. An extra bonus is a young Jeanne Moreau as a cabaret dancer. The final gunfight still stands strong among today's cg-filled action scenes. Definitely the pinnacle of Jacques Becker's work, but don't forget the marvelous Golden Helmet (Casque d'or) and The Night Watch (Le Trou).

animala The movie is a story of friendship that lasts.Max (Jean Gabin)is an ageing gangster, and indeed from early on the weighty and slowing down feeling of age is a daily preoccupation for Max. The opening scene is a view of the day's newspaper announcing that 50 million in gold bullion is still missing. Clearly Max has something to do with it.Max and his best pal, the similarly ageing Riton have young girlfriends who evidently engage in prostitution and drugs. In the opening scene Max is holding court at a local restaurant which is apparently closed to outsiders. max is clearly the man of influence, the man with the money. the "godfather" in his small fiefdom. Much of the set up of the entire story is allowing the viewer to see the day to day world of gangster middle management. The ordinary things that Max and co. do is really unique including discussing food, body functions and relationships personal and professional.Something is not all well at the "office". WHile Max and Riton are clearly honorable amongst their own, this is not practiced by all in their sphere as it is clear for some reason armed men associated with the club they frequent are trying to trap them. And as we find out, all know the "loot" is missing and Max is likely to have it, and many will do questionable and murderous things to try to get the info on its whereabouts.Look for Jeanne Moreau as the heartless and duplicitous Josy--she's fantastic.A non-pretentious look at the gangster world with some unexpected and somewhat shocking scenes of violence.Some hilarious translation in the Criterion subtitles like "Those babes are a real health hazard" and "you expect thanks for causing a flap in my hen house".Becker outdid himself in this film--every person in the movie was significant, all direction perfect.

colcam Touchez Pas Au Grisbi is a most interesting time capsule, with the slang, feelings, and behaviors of the early to mid fifties France put on the screen in the form of a black and white time capsule. There is a new print, with newly translated subtitles theatrically released in the USA, and it is getting a very heavily Francophile audience, most of whom seem enthralled at the beginning.By the time the first twenty minutes of it have unspooled they are not quite as enthralled, and seemed (at least at the well attended screening I was present for) to be on their way to irritation. Continuity was more than poor, it was horrible; within a scene clothing sometimes changed at random, Sten guns were unpacked, became MP40 submachine guns, then Thompson SMGs, then something else, back and forth, the pictures on the walls went from straight to crooked to straight for no reason-- by the end of the show there was a large contingent of older viewers who simply could not believe that was the same movie they remembered. The subtitles in small, thin white letters did not always stand out from the background well enough to be read, but the audio track was crisp and clear. For a re release such as this the picture could have been printed in B&W on color stock, with the subtitles in a pastel or neutral color; why they were not baffled the audience, many of which were lost in the fifties idioms of French they flatly did not understand. (This included a French Diplomat who had to ask his wife what something said in French meant-- she knew, but he had never heard the term!)An interesting movie, with strange touches (white hand grenades so they could be seen in the night shots, pause timing to allow dubbing into other languages) and the ability to open a window to the early French gangster film era. .