Point Blank
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Movie Reviews of Point Blank
Movie Review: Classic noir thriller finally available on DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
Leave it to John Boorman to combine the stylized storytelling of French New Wave with American film noir in "Point Blank". This fascinating, challenging movie was made in 1967 when the film world was in the embrace of experimental film. Although it's quite different from "Blow Up", the storytelling style is just as stylized and unique. Lee Marvin plays Walker a criminal cheated out of $93,000 from a robbery of a mob like syndicate on Alcatraz by his best friend Reese(John Vernon). Participating in the heist/murder is Walker's young wife who has been having an affair with Reese. After getting the money, Reese shoots his friend, takes his wife and leaves him for dead on Alcatraz.
With the help of a mysterious benefactor (Keenan Wynn), Walker tracks down Reese exacting revenge in pursuit for what he's owed. When his wife commits suicide, Walker seeks out her sister Chris (Angie Dickinson)in hope of luring Reese out of hiding. From there this convoluted mystery spins more threads than director John Boorman knows what to do with but, surprisingly, he keeps the story from getting too tangled up.
Boorman and director Steven Soderbergh ("Ocean's 11", "Solaris", "Sex Lies and Videotape")provide a fascinating commentary track on the making of the movie. Boorman recalls that originally Lee Marvin wanted Peggy Lee for the role that Dickinson plays. While he went with Boorman's decision of Dickinson he wasn't very nice to his co-star which worked particularly during the scene where Dickinson starts hitting Marvin. Dickinson hit Marvin so hard he had bruises the next day but the actor stoically took the hits and the camera kept rolling. Boorman also discusses the stylized approach he uses in shooting the film including a sequence in Walker's deceased wife's apartment that where the body disappears in an almost dream like sequence, the furniture disappears and Marvin's clothes change. The studio was so concerned when it saw the first cut of this sequence it hired a psychologist to come talk to the director.
Featuring a stunning transfer from Warner Home Video and a nearly perfect brand new print of the film, "Point Blank" looks sharp with vivid colors. The mono soundtrack with some of its unusual sound effects (the sound of Walker's feet providing a percussive element to one sequence in particularly)also sounds remarkably clear. There's also a two part promo featurette "The Rock" which focuses on the shooting of the movie on Alcatraz (it was the first movie shot there since the prison closed in 1963 and had been turned into a state park). Using San Francisco, Santa Monica and Los Angeles as a backdrop, the film features stunning cinematography. If Don Siegel had watched the French New Wave prior to making some of his noir laced thrillers, this is what it might have looked like.
Remade with Mel Gibson as a more traditional looking thriller called "Payback", "Point Blank" features Marvin in one of his most stoic, powerful and grim performances. His character of Walker leaves a trail of dead bodies without remorse or regret in pursuit of what is rightfully his. Unlike a lot of films that incorporated the surreal touch of the French New Wave (such as Truffaut's "Shoot the Piano Player" or any of Goddard's films), "Point Blank" has aged remarkably well with Boorman's stylized use of sets, camera set ups, flasbacks, etc. suggesting what's really going on inside of Walker's head. There's also a suggestion that maybe Walker didn't survive (particularly during the last sequence)and that "Point Blank" represents the dying delusion of a man thirsting for revenge. A marvelous film filled with many, many levels, this classic thriller does not have a straight forward narrative so if you're expecting a realistic film noir or story, you should look elsewhere.
Movie Review: Marvin shines doing what he does best.
Summary: 5 Stars
In this 1960s tale of an ex criminal seeking his share of the proceeds of a heist on Alcatraz is absorbing to say the least. Boorman is at his best in this noir classic which comes to life via the standout performance of Lee Marvin which while reminiscent of his role in the earlier The Killers which saw him excel with sidekick Gulager this time he plays the lone avenger brutal and uncompromising in his quest for justice as he sees it.Ably supported by good pal Keenan Wynn as agent provocetuer Marvin again shows us his abundant talent when playing such roles. Marvin stood head and shoulders above the pack during the 60s in playing the bad guy with a point to prove and he had an edgy quality that others tried to emulate but never duplicate.He had other notable performances in later years with Paint Your Wagon being the stand out but to my mind he will be better remembered for his work in the 1960s which includes his top shelf role in The Dirty Dozen which sadly never reaped him the rewards it should have but at least gave Marvin devotees another classic to revel in. Point Blank as the Killers before it no doubt had some bad press in some quarters due to the violence of the plot which I think overstates this issue. The violence was integral to the plot as with the Killers and as such has to be viewed accordingly. When looked at now in retrospect the violence when compared to later movies was relatively tame. Marvin played his roles as freewheeling and uncompromising as he lived his life generally and it gave his performances that added touch of reality and believabilty which many of his peers failed to produce often appearing wooden in comparison. Marvin was a one off talent the like of which sadly we may never see again. In short Point Blank like all Marvin efforts is a stand out. A notable supporting role included Angie Dickenson who joined Marvin no doubt as a result of their roles in the Killers and gives a good account of herself in a challenging role. One could never say Dickenson was simply eye candy as she showed in many good performances in the 70 and 80s and was a good foil for a rampant Marvin in this role as he tracks down the bad guys and eventually finds he has been the tool of a devious manipulator all along who uses Marvin to wipe out his opposition in the organisation hierachy. The ending of the film is brilliant in that it removes the almost inevitablity of the principle story line and leaves us at Alcatraz without knowing whether Walker took his money or not. This added another touch to what is a good uncomplicated fast moving script well suited to a winning performance by Marvin. The main setting chosen for the movie namely Alcatraz also gives that edgy feel so often associated with Marvin films. A classic for the Marvin buffs.Movie Review: A forerunner to Dirty Harry and Lee Marvin shining...
Summary: 5 Stars
If you liked "The Getaway" or "Dirty Harry", then meet their forerunner.
"Point Blank" is explosive, fast-paced, and still the acting is there.
Good acting that is.
Lee Marvin is at his best. Angie Dickinson. in her strong performance, is as beautiful as ever. Keenan Wynn and Carroll O'Connor play their parts to the hilt and it truly shows. John Vernon (who was The Mayor in "Dirty Harry") plays a slimy type with diligence and very believable.
Add the killing pace of the entire picture, and you have a hot item, as sharp and cutting as "Film Noir" can be.
Yes, because this is still a "Film Noir", despite the fact that it was filmed in Color and in the mid-sixties.
John Boorman ("Hell in the Pacific", "Deliverance" and "The Emerald Forest"), skillfully "color coded" the entire movie, bringing it from absolute colors at the beginning, to more red-tinted ones towards the end.
The only difference from a true "Film Noir" is its fast-paced storyline, that would lead us to movies as I have mentioned above.
Marvin's minimalistic acting, but forceful presence, is enough to fill every frame of the movie with tension, action and complete mayhem.
Compare him in "The Dirty Dozen" and "The Big Red One" and you will see what I mean.
A big plus was the release on DVD. An excellent transfer with a sharp picture resolution, a clearcut sound, make it a very enticing experience to watch it at home.
This is not just a Highly Recommended title. It is simply a Must!
Movie Review: A stark, brutish "Petulia" with a pistol in its pocket
Summary: 5 Stars
It's about time this movie got released on DVD.
It's odd that a film could spawn a remake ("Payback"), a glib nod ("Grosse Pointe Blank") and countless homages ("The Limey," among others) and still be as underseen as "Point Blank."
The lack of a disc certainly didn't help its low profile, but of course this is a challenging, idiosyncratic movie, even three decades later. The plot is simple -- a crook is betrayed by his wife and partner and spends the rest of the movie trying to get what he's owed -- but the editing and narrative structure is unusual. What in the world did audiences possibly make of this back when it was first released?
It's a remarkable film, as startling and innovative as Richard Lester's "Petulia," although admittedly it's thematically much less complex.
This edition is excellent, too. Great sound, great picture and a fantastic commentary by director John Boorman and big-time "Point" fan Steven Soderbergh, who laughingly admits to Boorman that he's ripped this movie off more than a few times. Their chat is more technical than gossipy and deals heavily with the editing, the production (the script was only 70 pages long), the studio's concerns about the picture, the actors, violence, surrealism (is it all a dream?) and Boorman's elaborate use of color (the tones of clothing and sets intensify over the course of the film).
I've gotten a lot of good DVD's this year but in terms of content, presentation and extas, this is one of the best.
Movie Review: Groundbreaking Neo-Noir
Summary: 5 Stars
"Point Blank" is as much a throwback to the classic film noir of the forties and fifties but also ushered in the more provocative filmmaking that was to come. It's no accident that this film came out the same year as "Bonnie and Clyde", another film that changed the vocabulary of American filmmaking. We are only offered a rooting interest in the cold-hearted Walker(Lee Marvin) inasmuch as he is less reprehensible than the members of the Organization that are more despicable than he. And what of the $93,000.00 that Walker is seeking? Does he really want the money or is it just the pretense for payback(sorry for referencing the Mel Gibson remake) for leaving him for dead at the money drop? This was daring and provocative subject matter for it's day when we still asked that good and bad be clearly defined and bad would be delivered their just desserts. Needless to say, Lee Marvin just defines icewater cool as Walker. Good supporting cast includes John Vernon as Walker's slimy partner in crime, a delectable Angie Dickinson as Walker's wife's sister, and Carroll O'Connor as a colorful partner in the Organization. James Sikking kind of predates the SWAT commander he played on "Hill Street Blues" with his role as the sharpshooter. Director John Boorman manages to maintain the right balance of homage to classic noir with some modern jazzy touches that make the film a true original. Essential viewing.