Touchez Pas Au Grisbi / Honour Among Thieves (1954) :
Brief Review -
Jean Gabin as the classic "Max" pro-level gangster in a flawless crime drama. Based on Alber Simonin's novel, Touchez Pas Au Grisbi is a classy gangster drama from the new phase of French cinema. Almost 95 minutes of screen time, and I didn't have a moment to take my eyes off the screen. That's how busy and flawless the screenplay is here. The script is great too, with a few countable flaws. Even those flaws are typical, as we see female characters getting involved in conspiracies, a smart gangster losing his grit to a lady, rather becoming a scum, the last portion of the face-to-face clash when gunfire hardly hits the heart unless the writer wants it, and a couple more. Touchez Pas Au Grisbi is about Max, a gangster who commits the last job before returning. The loot is not safe, and he has partnered with a fool who happens to be a scum because of a showgirl. The partner's stooling brings Max into trouble, and then he sets out to make things right with his pro techniques. He has to take care of his social reputation and the life of his partner while thinking about loot and money. It's a tough job, but like I said, he is a max-pro-level gangster, so only he could manage it. Jean Gabin is flawless, rough, raw, and gritty as Max. This directly goes into my favourite performances list for the legendary French actor. There are 3-4 girls, and all look beautiful-actually too sexy. René Dary, as Max's accomplice, does well, and the supporting cast is fine too. We have some intense dialogues and scenes that elevate the dark theme without hurting its class decoration. Jacques Becker has done an amazing job keeping things so classy and tidy, despite the messy characters of those girls. This one's a must-see for those who love all those popular B&W gangster dramas from old Hollywood.
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Jean Gabin as the classic "Max" pro-level gangster in a flawless crime drama. Based on Alber Simonin's novel, Touchez Pas Au Grisbi is a classy gangster drama from the new phase of French cinema. Almost 95 minutes of screen time, and I didn't have a moment to take my eyes off the screen. That's how busy and flawless the screenplay is here. The script is great too, with a few countable flaws. Even those flaws are typical, as we see female characters getting involved in conspiracies, a smart gangster losing his grit to a lady, rather becoming a scum, the last portion of the face-to-face clash when gunfire hardly hits the heart unless the writer wants it, and a couple more. Touchez Pas Au Grisbi is about Max, a gangster who commits the last job before returning. The loot is not safe, and he has partnered with a fool who happens to be a scum because of a showgirl. The partner's stooling brings Max into trouble, and then he sets out to make things right with his pro techniques. He has to take care of his social reputation and the life of his partner while thinking about loot and money. It's a tough job, but like I said, he is a max-pro-level gangster, so only he could manage it. Jean Gabin is flawless, rough, raw, and gritty as Max. This directly goes into my favourite performances list for the legendary French actor. There are 3-4 girls, and all look beautiful-actually too sexy. René Dary, as Max's accomplice, does well, and the supporting cast is fine too. We have some intense dialogues and scenes that elevate the dark theme without hurting its class decoration. Jacques Becker has done an amazing job keeping things so classy and tidy, despite the messy characters of those girls. This one's a must-see for those who love all those popular B&W gangster dramas from old Hollywood.
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.