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Maximum Risk is a 1996 American action thriller film directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Ringo Lam in his American directorial debut, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Natasha Henstridge. The plot follows French police detective Alain Moreau (Van Damme) as he becomes entangled in an international conspiracy encompassing Russian gangsters and corrupt American officials, with various parties after his life because of his uncanny resemblance to a dead mob informant. His only ally appears to be his doppelganger's girlfriend, Alex Bartlett (Henstridge).
The film was released in the United States on September 13, 1996. It received lukewarm reviews, but it was a moderate commercial success.
Contents
Plot
A man is chased through the streets of Nice, France, ultimately resulting in his death. Police officer Alain Moreau is brought by his partner Sebastien to the scene because the victim's face is identical to Alain's. Matches found in his pocket point towards a hotel, where the proprietor mistakes Alain for "Mikhail Suverov" and gives him the phone message "Call Alex Bohemia." In Mikhail's room is a passport with the same birth date as Alain, and a plane ticket to New York City.
Alain's mother admits that he has a twin brother whom she gave up at birth because she was impoverished. Alain and Sebastian visit the office of the lawyer who adopted Mikhail. They find the room in flames, and a Russian man attacks Alain. He escapes with the adoption file, which reveals Mikhail was adopted by a Russian family who immigrated to the United States. Alain takes the passport and plane ticket to New York to investigate Mikhail's death.
