We’ve been meaning to see the French action film À Bout Portant (Point Blank) for several months.
In the hurly-burly of our hectic life, we missed the film when it was playing in select theaters in NYC and Philly last year.
So when the movie hit Netflix Instant Play we eagerly grabbed our Roku remote.
Directed by Fred Cavayé, Point Blank features Gilles Lellouche, Roschdy Zem, Gérard Lanvin and Elena Anaya.
Cavaye and Guillaume Lemans wrote the screenplay.
Just French It Baby
If you’re the kind that gets off on the nonstop pandemonium of American action movies like the Bourne or Mission Impossible series then you don’t want to miss Point Blank.
Straight up your alley, baby.
Point Blank is high octane stuff, right from the opening scene when you see two guys chasing an injured fella down a semi-dark stairwell.
You instinctively know that none of these people are on the right side of the law.
In a few seconds, Hugo Sartet (Roschdy Zem) the guy being chased is hit by a motorcycle before his pal can whisk him off.
Soon as he lands in the hospital with trauma to the head, efforts are made to rescue Sartet but foiled by an alert nurse’s aide Samuel (Gilles Lellouche).
So in desperation, the bad guys bludgeon Samuel and kidnap his pregnant wife Nadia (the lovely Spanish actress Elena Anaya). All this obviously in an effort to compel Samuel’s assistance in getting Sartet out of the hospital.
Endless Action
From then on until almost the very last frames of the film, it’s an unending, frenetic, high adrenalin rollercoaster of chases on the road, shootings and chases in the subway.
And one big twist.
The nurse’s aide, played very well by Gilles Lellouche, is desperate to save his wife.
The injured man Sartet is cold-bloodedly relentless and goes about shooting anyone in his way or if they fail to give him an answer to his questions.
Did we say that Roschdy Zem is no less impressive.
And the police are all over the place, in more ways than one.
Like most films of this action genre, Point Blank will linger in your mind for long.
It’s nonsense, pure and simple.
Albeit, one that’s well made, well enacted and well written to keep you in thrall.
Action movie buffs will have little to complain about even if some of the scenes like the easy entry into the police station in the second half completely strain credulity.
SearchIndia.com recommends Point Blank for all action film aficionados.
The film is on Instant Play and DVD at Netflix with English subtitles.
Point Blank – Nonstop French Action Film added by SearchIndia.com on
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A very ordinary movie!
Nothing special about it… Just like the 100s of action films before.
Worse plot than a Bollywood movie.
Don’t watch it and you miss nothing!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
As if any action film has a decent plot.
Worse plot than a Bollywood movie?
We’ll blame the hallucinations on the unusually cold weather in your new city.
Confused this one with a Hollywood movie with a similar name Point Break, starring Keanu Reeves. Pretty decent movie.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
We haven’t seen Point Break.
Just read about it on Wiki.
Off topic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf5zvCG0Wkk
A scene from the malayalam movie Udhayanaanu Tharam (which translates to Udhayan is the star). Quite funny, if you can understand Malayalam. Mohan lal shines in the role of Udhayabanu, a man aspiring to become a director in the Malayalam film industry. He hates how cinema is being commercialized and is in the view that film makers are selling junk in the name of movies just to make money. Sreenivasan(the guy in white, in the video) plays the role of Udhayan’s friend Rajappan, a wannabe actor who can’t even act to save his life(The role of Rajappan must have been intended to take a dig at most of the cine stars who can’t act to save their lives.). The movie takes a dig at the entire Malayalam film industry, making fun of various aspects. Pretty decent but not without it’s share of flaws.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
The elderly man Jagathy Sreekumar in your link is good.
Just read about him on Wiki.
Impressed.
Read him about him?
More sloshed than usual eh? 😛
Jagathy Sreekumar is a fine comedian. One of my favorites. The best part about Malayalam movies is that comedy is not forced into the script like an extra-fitting (like in most Tamil movies). The comic scenes are integrated into the script so that they don’t run on a completely different track from the rest of the movie.
But of late, the industry doesn’t make as much good movies like they used to make in the 80s and 90s. Btw, most of the tamil movies in the 80s, 90s and even some in 2000s were remakes of Malayalam movies, which is an example of complete lack of creativity by Tamil movie makers. Ramji Rao Speaking (Remade as Hera Pheri in Hindi, Arangetra Velai in Tamil starring the fine actor Prabhu), Manichitrathazhu(remade as Chandramukhi), In Harihar Nagar(remade as MGR Nagaril), Vietnam Colony(remade with the same title, equally enjoyable), Udhayanaanu Tharam(turned into junk by the name of Vellithirai), Classmates(Ninaithale Inikkum. NI was above average but light years behind Classmates) etc etc. The list is too long. Apart from these, the Tamil bozos also indulge in plagiarism. To be fair, I’ve come across a Malayalam movie(don’t remember the name) which was a complete lift of Butterfly on a Wheel. Guess the entire Indian film industry is guilty of plagiarism.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Fixed. Thanks!
For the last few days, we’ve been drinking glass after glass after glass after… of wine. First Red (Merlot) and now Chardonnay. 😉
We’d love to watch Jagathy’s films but it’d be hard to get them with subtitles here. Unfortunately, Netflix doesn’t carry any of his films.
There may be many of his comedy scenes on youtube. But it would be best if you know the language, instead of watching with subtitles. Subtitles mostly take the fun away.
Btw, I’ve never had wine. Is it better than Whiskey/Vodka/Gin/Rum etc.??
SearchIndia.com Responds:
You write: Btw, I’ve never had wine. Is it better than Whiskey/Vodka/Gin/Rum etc.??
Depends….whether you think like us. 😉
If the objective of drinking is to get high as quickly as possible…then the way to go is Whiskey, Vodka, Rum, Brandy, Gin etc.
Occasionally, we buy these 1.5 liter bottles of Jacob’s Creek (Australian wine, $8.99-$9.99) Shiraz, Merlot or Chardonnay and finish it in 2-days (maximum 3-days). Besides being cheap, Jacob’s Creek also has a convenient screw cap instead of a cork (most wine bottles have a cork).
“If the objective of drinking is to get high as quickly as possible…then the way to go is Whiskey, Vodka, Rum, Brandy, Gin etc.”
Not to get high.. I meant “better” in terms of taste. I hate drinking whiskey/vodka etc with water.. Whiskey goes with coke and Vodka with either 7UP or Sprite.. and a piece of lemon..!!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
We don’t look much for ‘taste’ while imbibing.
Only that what goes in shouldn’t taste like cat’s piss (like that disgusting Budweiser).
The really cheap stuff usually taste awful.