Point Blank (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Greg S

  
  Gangsters kidnap a medical assistant's pregnant wife to force him to spring their injured comrade from a hospital; complications arise and he's drawn into a web of conspiracy and murder. Fast-paced French thriller with a classic "cops think the good guy is the bad… More
  Gangsters kidnap a medical assistant's pregnant wife to force him to spring their injured comrade from a hospital; complications arise and he's drawn into a web of conspiracy and murder. Fast-paced French thriller with a classic "cops think the good guy is the bad guy" hook.

• Mark H

  
  At a lean and mean 84 minutes, "Point Blank" moves quickly and efficiently, providing excitement at a serviceable pace. Despite the French subtitles, this isn't art house cinema. It's about thrills, not script. Director Fred Cavayé' clearly has one eye on… More
  At a lean and mean 84 minutes, "Point Blank" moves quickly and efficiently, providing excitement at a serviceable pace. Despite the French subtitles, this isn't art house cinema. It's about thrills, not script. Director Fred Cavayé' clearly has one eye on Hollywood. The story unfolds very much like one of Liam Neeson's recent vehicles like Taken or Unknown. The director's debut, 2008?s Anything for Her, was even remade as The Next Three Days. Ironically that remake actually featured Liam Neeson in a supporting role. There is little doubt in my mind that this picture will be remade as well, but don't wait for the substandard remake. See the original in all it's glory for the cast is quite good here. There's a surprising amount of character development for a genre movie of this sort. Actor Gilles Lellouche stars as the likable protagonist pushed to break the law to save his wife. Roschdy Zem, a French actor of Moroccan descent, is Hugo Sartet, the thief he is forced to secure. I kept seeing Vin Diesel in the part, but Sartet is no indestructible action hero, his part is more subtle than that. Their interaction is a big part of what makes the plot so compelling. Also rounding out the main roles is Spanish actress Elena Anaya as his wife/damsel in distress and Gérard Lanvin as crooked Paris police commander Patrick Werner. Point Blank is an above average action thriller. It's not the first time you'll watch an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances, but it's always a solid basis for a script. Director Fred Cavayé started as a fashion and advertising photographer. His training imbues the operation with style and flair. It's probably only a matter of time before he's invited to the U.S. to start making pictures there. Based on his first and only two films, I'd say sooner is better than later.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"A desperate man is a dangerous thing."</i> Samuel Pierret (Gilles Lellouche) is a nurse who saves the wrong guy -- a thief (Roschdy Zem) whose henchmen take Samuel's pregnant wife (Elena Anaya) hostage to force him to spring their boss from the… More
  <i>"A desperate man is a dangerous thing."</i> Samuel Pierret (Gilles Lellouche) is a nurse who saves the wrong guy -- a thief (Roschdy Zem) whose henchmen take Samuel's pregnant wife (Elena Anaya) hostage to force him to spring their boss from the hospital. A race through the subways and streets of Paris ensues, and the body count rises. Can Samuel evade the cops and the criminal underground and deliver his beloved to safety? <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Samuel, a nurse-in-training at a Parisian hospital is suddenly in the middle of a conspiracy, and he has no way out until he can get his wife back. Simple enough? Not quite, but here is a movie that is like "The Fugitive" on steroids, powered by dynamic direction, and a very charismatic couple of lead actors. Samuel, find himself, avoiding bullets, thugs, cops, killers, cars, trains, security cameras, and that's just the background. He is also dealing with a very personal crisis, and there are a couple of sensational scenes that take place in the middle of a very busy train station, and if you have ever been in one of those European transportation hubs, you can almost feel his pain, as he is trying to avoid being captured and killed. The second scene involves a hectic police station, and some very creative plot twists. Here is a film many should see in its original version (I'm already thinking it will probably go through a least creative American reworking), but it is perfectly enjoyable the way it is; actually it's quite a thrill to see that in addition to films like "Tell No One", French filmmakers are producing some very interesting films, with non-stop action. You will feel your heart beating almost out of your chest.

• Kevin K

  
  Grade: C (74%) Point Blank is one of those movies where it is a couple of years late. There have been many movies that have been made that follow this particular pattern. "Taken" is an example of this type of film. However, even though the film is predictable there is… More
  Grade: C (74%) Point Blank is one of those movies where it is a couple of years late. There have been many movies that have been made that follow this particular pattern. "Taken" is an example of this type of film. However, even though the film is predictable there is some fun to be found in this short thriller. Samuel is just about to become a nurse at a local hospital and his wife Nadia is 7 1/2 months pregnant. While Samuel tries to do everything for her pregnant wife, he works the night shifts at the hospital making sure patients are okay and helps them with anything they need. But when an injured man comes into the hospital after being hit by a motorcycle, au unknown person tries to murder the same victim. With Samuel being a hero and saving this person's life, his personal life gets involved when he is knocked unconsious and sees his wife being taken away. He wakes up to a cell phone call and tells him to bring the same man from the hospital to him. So yes, it has a little bit of "Taken" in his pages that makes it a similar thriller. Your loved one is kidnapped, time to find her. The film does keep you interested, mostly. For the first twenty minutes or so, it moves very slow which to some people can be a problem. This movie is only 84 minutes and you lose most of your time with a slow building of plot in the beginning. But where the movie suceeds can be a hit or miss for viewers. Most of the action sequences gave a "been there, done that" thought process. While some like seeing acton sequences again with an R-rated feel, many will grow bored of the action sequences. Point Blank is a descent thriller that is four or five years behind the rest of the film world. It is a shame that this film isn't as good as it should be, but if you throw everything else out the window for a little less than 90 minutes, some fun can be found in this foreign language film.

• Matheus C

  
  Cliched and ultimately disappointing French thriller, with and all too tidy happy ending

• Walter M

  
  At 7 1/2 months pregnant, Nadia(Elena Anaya) is told to stay off her feet. For her, that does not mean that she can't be on top of her husband Samuel(Gilles Lellouche), not quite a nurse. At work, he saves the live of a patient, Hugo(Roschdy Zem) from being strangled after he… More
  At 7 1/2 months pregnant, Nadia(Elena Anaya) is told to stay off her feet. For her, that does not mean that she can't be on top of her husband Samuel(Gilles Lellouche), not quite a nurse. At work, he saves the live of a patient, Hugo(Roschdy Zem) from being strangled after he had already been in a coma due to being hit by a motorcycle in a tunnel. So somebody reasons that Samuel might be the guy to go to for getting Hugo out of the hospital. As an added incentive, they have kidnapped Nadia. At first, there is a lot in "Point Blank" that might seem familiar, especially along the lines of Hitchcock's innocent man gambit with added police movie cliches. But then in one moment, everything changes and once the smoke disperses, it all becomes a lot clearer, if no less dangerous for Samuel. That allows for the movie to turn into a taut thriller that does not overstay its welcome, first with an extended foot chase before a chaotic, yet neat, climax. So, now I'm only left wondering if DVD's will really be around seven years from now.

• Fascade F

  
  Totally absorbing tale that grips you from the beginning to the end. Caught in the middle as a pawn between the gangsters and rogue police responsible for an assassination of a political element, Samuel (Gilles Lellouche), a male nurse's aid on the verge of being promoted gets… More
  Totally absorbing tale that grips you from the beginning to the end. Caught in the middle as a pawn between the gangsters and rogue police responsible for an assassination of a political element, Samuel (Gilles Lellouche), a male nurse's aid on the verge of being promoted gets into a world of unexpected confusion for not only him, but for his wife Nadia (Elena Anaya) and unborn child..(being held hostage!?!?!) in this mess. As the story unravels, you experience pain, anguish, and suspense as a desperate man holds onto his sanity in an insane situation. Please see this!

• Daniel P

  
  Nothing earth-shattering but a kinetic, efficient thriller that rarely lets up. You can practically hear Hollywood scraping the remake together. The ending is, shall we say, odd.

• Andre T

  
  2010 French thriller film directed by Fred Cavayé and starring Gilles Lellouche, Roschdy Zem, Elena Anaya, and Gérard Lanvin.French writer-director Fred Cavayé orchestrates a heart-pounding thriller revolving around a woman in jeopardy and her loving husband's desperate attempts… More
  2010 French thriller film directed by Fred Cavayé and starring Gilles Lellouche, Roschdy Zem, Elena Anaya, and Gérard Lanvin.French writer-director Fred Cavayé orchestrates a heart-pounding thriller revolving around a woman in jeopardy and her loving husband's desperate attempts to save her.The heart-pounding French thriller Point Blank (À bout portant) is a high-wire act that almostslips as it edges perilously closer and closer to the edge of improbability. But it never does. When it's over and you finally exhale, you remember this is what got you hooked on movies in the first place: a film's ability to stimulate you through words, action and images so you can lose yourself in a story where anything is possible.stunning breathtake non stop action in a rollercoaster movie.Wow!

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