Point Blank

In the last decade or so, French cinema has produced some memorable corrupt-cop crime thrillers. The French cop thrillers became widely known outside France with director Olivier Marchal’s “36th Precinct” (2004) and “MR 73” (2008) that were generally successful at the box office and received mostly favorable reviews. More recently, Jean-Francois Richet’s dual crime thrillers, “Mesrine: Killer Instinct” (2008) and “Mesrine: Public Enemy #1” (2008), were also well-produced crime thrillers, cementing the French cinema’s reputation in producing slick-looking action-crime thrillers. Fred Cavaye’s “Point Blank” (2010) is the latest offering in this genre. Cavaye might not be a known name in Hollywood, but his earlier flick “Anything for Her” (2008) was remade under Paul Haggis’s direction as “The Next Three Days” (2010).

“Point Blank” begins with a fast-paced sequence in which we see a thief, Startet (Zem), running from a group of gangsters who probably shot him. He soon enters a tunnel where he is hit by a speeding motorcycle. Startet is taken to a hospital in critical condition, where he is looked after by a male nurse named Sam (Samuel Pierret Gilles). Sam doesn’t know that Startet has a criminal background, and he is soon pulled in Startet’s mess. Startet’s men kidnap Sam’s wife and asks him to take Startet out of the hospital. The goal is to take Startet to his men so that he can set his wife free from the gangsters. But the plan comes crashing down when police officers track Sam’s whereabouts. Thereafter, it’s a cat-and-mouse game wherein Sam is running from the police along with Startet. As the plot progresses, we learn about the involvement of corrupt agents and how Startet was part of their plan. Startet is looking to expose the rogue police officials for which he and Sam have to do the unthinkable.

“Point Blank” is a breezy ride and has its fair share of exciting chase sequences and shootouts. For a flick running under eighty-four minutes, “Point Blank” succeeds in entertaining us. Surely, there are plenty of twists in Sam’s way, with one standout sequence at a police station. Nonetheless, even when the film packs in all the excitement without getting boring even for a minute, “Point Blank” lacks a fresh plot. The film is a mix of “The Next Three Days” and “The Fugitive” (1993), as it centers on an event involving a key female protagonist; for Sam, saving his wife is the only option. Throw in corrupt cops, and then the plot feels like “36th Precinct.” There are gaps in the story line as well. In the beginning, a speeding motorcycle hits Startet, but later on, he seems completely fine, only struggling with a gunshot wound. He is running around with Sam, appearing fully recovered from the accident. This is hardly plausible, given the manner in which Startet was brutally hit by the motorcycle. Then, later Startet learns that the evidence is stored at a police station. One wonders why cops would store a piece of evidence at the station that could expose the corruption in the police department.

In spite of the plot’s familiarity and plot holes, “Point Blank” is a beautifully shot film, featuring crisp cinematography and sharp editing techniques. The manner in which Sam reaches from point A to point B throughout in this running game is perfectly executed and the sequences never feel overly long. In the end, “Point Blank” is gripping, but I doubt one will remember the thrills after the movie is over.

Video:

Magnolia presents “Point Blank” in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and encoded using an AVC codec. The 1080p looks warm and accurately represents the colors. While the colors are not excessively lively, they are solid and consistently deep. The nighttime sequences have deep blacks, with balanced contrast. The detail is good, which is evident in the night sequences. Likewise, the image is sharp throughout, never looking soft even in challenging light conditions. Finally, the skin tones are realistic and retain their natural details.

Audio: 

For an action movie, the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is lively and realistically represents the robustness of the film’s soundtrack. The action moments are dynamic and trigger the rear channels, providing aural thrills in these sequences. The bass is never heavy and delivers a nice depth to the film’s audio track. As expected, the dialogue gets a boost as it is clearly audible and clean.

Extras:

The only extra included for this release is a regular “behind-the-scenes” documentary featuring interviews with the cast and director and a lot of behind-the-scenes footage. Don’t watch this feature until after you have seen the movie, though, as it contains a key spoiler. Also, included is the film’s theatrical trailer.

Parting Thoughts:

“Point Blank” is like a speeding bullet train running with no train stops. There are thrills, twists, and fights, as Sam is sandwiched between corrupt officials and gangsters. Unfortunately, the film suffers from been-there-done-that moments, too, so it lacks enough unique moments to stand on its own. But as an eighty-minute adrenaline ride, “Point Blank” succeeds in presenting enough thrilling moments.