Touchez Pas au Grisbi

Lino Ventura, Jean Gabin, and Jeanne Moreau in Touchez Pas au Grisbi

Jacques Becker's Touchez Pas au Grisbi (Don't touch the loot), from 1954, is a first rate French crime thriller set amidst the cafes and nightclubs of Montmartre. Freely adapted from Albert Simonin's novel, Becker and his cohorts tailored the film to fit its star, cinematic icon Jean Gabin. Gabin's Max walks through the first half of the film as if he is withholding a secret and he is. Max has stolen $50,000 in gold ingots from Orly airport and is trying to keep that fact under his hat. Moreover, he is feeling too old for the criminal life he has led. He is tired of the Montmartre nightlife and seems only half interested in the numerous women who pursue him.

Of course, not all of Max's compatriots are as tight lipped as he and the chance to cash in on his final score slips through his fingers. Despite the treachery that surrounds him, Max remains faithful to his true friends, particularly Riton (Rene Dary). The relationship between Max and Riton is echoed by the relationship between Jimmy Hoffa and Frank Sheeran in Scorsese's The Irishman to the point of Scorsese copying a bedtime scene of gangsters in pajamas. Gabin is among the greatest screen actors and his performance in Touchez... ranks with his best, but the cast in general is superb. This was Lino Ventura's film debut and the first film to show Jeanne Moreau's potential. A masterpiece, then. Available on a super Kino Lorber disc and for streaming, on Kanopy.