Max and the Junkmen (1971)

Australian theatrical premiere

Introduced by Janice Tong

Sautet’s elegant and sophisticated crime drama stars the great Michel Piccoli as Max, a Paris detective hellbent on justice at any cost after watching one too many wily criminals slip through his fingers. Max decides to lure a gang into committing a bank robbery ... so that he can then catch them red-handed. So Max poses as a wealthy banker and begins a series of illicit rendezvous with the high-class prostitute Lily (Romy Schneider). But there’s one thing the cold-hearted Max doesn’t factor into his diabolical scheme: the possibility of falling in love. A taut thriller with the heart of a great melodrama.

Rating

PG

Cast

Michel Piccoli, Romy Schneider, François Périer, Georges Wilson

Director

Claude Sautet