Friday, July 29, 2011

Point Blank (FRENCH)

(A bout portant)
Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Hubby Has Three Hours to Save Pregnant Wife in Adrenaline-Fueled Action Thriller

Paris has served as the backdrop for several superb revenge flicks lately, such as “Taken,” “District B-13” and “From Paris with Love,” and this adrenaline-fueled thriller measures up well in comparison with the best of the genre. Written and directed by Fred Cavaye, the picture features another desperate protagonist taking the law into his own hands with a sense of urgency due to the dire consequences apt to transpire should he involve the police in the resolution of the matter.
In this instance, the tension is wound around mild-mannered Samuel Pierret (Gilles Lellouche), a nurse and happily-married family man. The plot thickens right off the bat when gangsters break into his apartment, knock him unconscious and drag his 7½ months-pregnant wife, Nadia (Elena Anaya), away kicking and screaming.
Sam subsequently receives a phone call from the kidnappers whose life or death ransom demand gives him only three hours to free Hugo Sartet (Roschdy Zem), a dangerous criminal under his care at the hospital. The bad guys warn him not to alert the authorities and it’s not long before he realizes that there are already corrupt cops on the force he has to contend with anyway.
This means Sam is on his own as he plunges headlong into the fray by the seat of his pants. Up to the challenge, he proves to be an easy underdog to root for as he doles out a bloody brand of vigilante justice in search of his imperiled spouse.
Edited to keep the action unfolding at breakneck speed, this non-stop roller coaster ride never allows the audience an opportunity to pause to catch its collective breath. A heart-pounding, high-body count affair revolving around an unlikely hero who summons the courage to rise to the occasion for the sake of his spouse and unborn baby.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated R for graphic violence and bloody images.
In French with subtitles
Running time: 84 Minutes
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures

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