Max(Michel Piccoli), a police inspector, is angry that he is too late to prevent another lethal bank robbery. Not only that but that his pet informant may have been less than reliable. And then said informant turns up dead. The trail is not entirely cold as Max has a lead that turns out to be Abel(Bernard Fresson), an old army buddy down on his luck who steals cars and scrap with a motley gang of fellow criminals on the outskirts of Paris. All of which Max confirms with Rosinsky(Francois Perier), the local police inspector. So, Max hatches a plan to lure the gang into a bank robbery in order for them to be caught in the act in order to restore his prestige in the department. His first step is to approach Lily(Romy Schneider), a prostitute and Abel's lover. "Max and the Junkmen" is a compelling movie that moves at its own idiosyncratic rhythm. At the same time, its deliberate pace does allow for suspense to build nicely towards the film's climax. In fact, it is a rather deceptive movie in that it is something of a reverse caper. Consumed by his obsession to catch criminals, not prevent crime, Max acts like a criminal, not by planting evidence or something similar. He is running a long con by making the mark think they are making the decisions when in fact he is pulling all of the strings. In its own topsy turvy way, the movie does not side with its police protagonist but with the gang who only seem dangerous to themselves. This is in a world where most of the characters have military experience in colonial wars.