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Rialto Pictures has found a niche for itself in re-releasing old Luis Bunuel and French crime films. I'm not sure what those two have in common besides a wonderful sense of style, but American audiences aren't complaining. The latest offering from Rialto is a melancholy heist pic entitled Touchez pas au Grisbi; a rough English translation would be "Hands off the Loot." It stars the incomparable Jean Gabin as an aging thief set on making one last score, a familiar set-up that finds new meaning in the hands of director Jacques Becker.

The story opens with Max (Gabin) and his long-time partner Riton (Rene Dary) already having lifted the 50 million francs in gold bullion. They're sitting in a swanky restaurant, flanked by two beautiful, young women, overhearing folks around them discussing their success. But Max and Riton don't seem particularly excited. Maybe they know the hard part of fencing the gold bullion is still ahead, or maybe they're just tired. Their dates (played by 25-year-old Jeanne Moreau and Dora Doll) sure are animated and convince the two to accompany them to their club, where the ladies are part of the floor show.

There we're introduced to Angelo (Lino Ventura), a local drug dealer with bigger aspirations, and Pierrot (Paul Frankeur), the club owner and friend of Max. Angelo seduces Riton's girlfriend (Moreau) and finds out Max is the one who pulled off the 50-million-franc heist. He gets the idea of taking the gold for himself, but Max outsmarts him. Unfortunately, Riton isn't as bright and makes the mistake of going back to his girlfriend's room, where Angelo's thugs kidnap him.

Max has a dilemma. He could abandon Riton and retire as he planned, or he could accept Angelo's demands and trade the loot for his friend's life. There's a wonderful soliloquy where Max tries to convince himself to cut his ties with Riton--Riton is certainly at fault for going back to his girlfriend, Riton has always slowed them down with his romantic misadventures, and Max was all set to retire before this happened. It's a fantastic performance from Gabin, who plays the world-weary robber with exactly the right amount of sentimentality (none). Yet we know that Max isn't about to abandon his friend, and not just because this is the movies. We've seen them together, acting like an old, married couple. There's a wonderful scene when the two get ready for bed, and you'd guess they were husband and wife, taking turns in the bathroom. Max may resent his partner's impetuousness, and he knows they're both too old for this sort of thing, but certain partnerships are even thicker than blood.

Francois Truffaut wrote that Touchez pas au Grisbi was "a movie about turning 50," and, as usual, he's right. Jean Gabin, who was approaching 50 himself when the film was made, walks like a man who's seen too much of life. He's surrounded by money and women, and yet he looks tired and bored. Every once in a while, a flash of excitement passes his eyes, but that's soon replaced by the knowing expression that he's on the wrong side of the hill. In the club, as the fabulous floor show parades in front, Max and Riton sit with silent expressions, hoping that it'll all end soon so they can go to bed. What happens when you've lived on the edge of excitement your whole life and suddenly realize you're tired of all the commotion? How do you age gracefully when you've run through your youth without ever looking back? And how does a famous movie star make that transition to older, more "mature" roles?

The answer to that last question is to watch Jean Gabin, whose economy of motion is matched by his clipped but powerful line deliveries. He dominates the screen as only an icon can. The other actors are functional, with Moreau bringing a spice of romance to the proceedings. Becker directs everything with a minimalist style that brings the focus back to Gabin and his world-weary search. If you're searching for a crime caper with more substance than usual, you can't go wrong with Touchez pas au Grisbi. 

J. Robert Parks  2/3/2004