POINT BLANK – A BOUT PORTANT (2010)

Directed By: Fred Cavaye 
Written By: Fred Cavaye & Guillaume Lemans 
Cinematography By: Alain Duplantier 
Editor: Benjamin Weill 


 Cast: Gilles Lellouche, Roschdy Zem, Elena Anaya, Gerard Lanvin

Samuel Pierret is a nurse who saves the wrong guy -- a thief whose henchmen take Samuel's pregnant wife 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? --The story is a bit on the far-fetched side, but that’s why we go to the cinema sometimes. A suspension of disbelief. And an escape form the everyday that at times can feel real or make us question how would we act in the same circumstances.

This film is truly fun and inventive. It's like your typical action thriller only French as with actors no one would call your typical action hero. It's fast and packed with a somewhat believable level of action. Which it has plenty of and barely let's you catch your breath. Though billed as a thriller the action over comes the tension

The film is also suspenseful as you worry and wonder about the situations. Hope you are as clueless as he protagonist. As the film ones along you get clues as the whole story becomes clear.

The film has a huge conspiracy. The wrongly accused Every man trying to prove his innocence and save his wife. All this trouble because he did the right thing and was the right person at the wrong time. Almost reminding the audience of the film, THE FUGITIVE only here more fast action and not as grand.

I could easily see this film being remade in America into an inferior film. Like they did with the directors previous movie THE NEXT THREE DAYS.

This film has an energy about it. That takes the familiar an doesn't turn them on their head, but at least makes the stakes bigger and narrower.

Part of why we American viewers worry is that any character is dispensable, As we don't really know the French celebrity system. So they are not necessarily familiar actors in our eyes. Like horror movie actors and characters that unfamiliarity leads to mystery about their fates.

The formula is followed, but it could have been broken also and still been satisfying.

Even of you don't normally like foreign films though love action and suspense. You will love this film as there is very little dialogue once the story gets flowing. It is mostly action overload.

 Grade: B