Point Man

It's always great to see new films coming out about Vietnam, which is criminally underrepresented in the catalogue of war films that get released every year. I rank this one seven out of ten stars. Let's break it down:

ACTING: 9/10

Unbelievable performances out of this one. Christopher Long is incredible. Ditto Jacob Keohane as his antagonist, and Chase Gutzmore, the film's tabula rosa. It's hard to find indie films with no known actors that can garnish this kind of review, but seriously, the entire ensemble is magnificent. These guys won't stay under the radar for long.

STORY: 8/10

In independent film story is key, and in a dialogue-driven film you'd better go for broke on the writing. Point Man's writer did precisely that. Outstanding dialogue. Marvelously written, from the characters to their development to the plot, which begins with a simple foot patrol in the jungle and descends into the dark heart of humanity. It's a thinker's movie without the pretentiousness that usually accompanies them.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: 5/10

Point Man is watchable, certainly, but its director isn't going to win any awards for the cinematography. It's not particularly creative, instead using standard back-and-forth shots for the majority of the film. I guess this comes with the territory in anything dialogue-driven, but everything was far too static for my tastes. Which leads me to...

PRODUCTION VALUE: 4/10

My biggest criticism of Point Man lies under this category. It's a great story but it just could've been so much greater had the producers not missed so many opportunities. This thing was shot in Southeast Asia (Cambodia and Vietnam, according to their page) but failed to really feature the topography in a way that accented the production. Why not harness that terrain with the camera? Why not take advantage of the rice patties you can't get anywhere else in the world and get some creative establishing shots?

What saves it production-wise and ultimately makes it passable are its few meritorious big acquisitions, like Huey helicopters, which greatly enhance it, some big explosions, and the wardrobe, which appears carefully crafted, if dotted with some inaccuracies.

TOTAL: 7/10

Story means the world - lots of big budget flicks out there with terrible stories that leave viewers disappointed. And it's the story, ultimately, that makes Point Man worth watching.

Such a powerful movie and a must see, great production value, excellent cast, very well made. Point Man is the untold story for every generation and very touching.

The story is pretty good the acting is a little iffy but still gets the job done.. the special effects are obviously budget but that's expected.. still a great movie. give it a look.

My review of POINT MAN.

First, let's be clear: Point Man has a budget. You won't see any actors you've heard of (yet) and if you're looking for ten million dollar Hollywood pyrotechnics you should probably move on. In fact, this film should probably be marketed as a drama rather than an action, as Vision/Sony's trailer leads us to believe. This is a high-stakes, dramatic gambit set with the Vietnam War as the backdrop.

But none of the budget constraints (I judge it at 3mil) have any real effect on the story, which is the best part of this film. Protagonist Casper and antagonist Meeks are well crafted and bounce off of each other dynamically throughout the film. The supporting cast round out nicely. The acting is stellar. Christopher Long is mesmerising as the film's lead. There are no real weak points in the cast.

Point Man is a departure from the classic Viet Nam films of the 1980s and 1990s we're used to seeing from American cinema; it's not a heavy-handed political criticism of the war and it's not a propaganda piece. At its core it's an ethical conundrum embedded in the tapestry of the American conflict in Southeast Asia. It's a Kantian dilemma with palm trees and gunfire.

If you are looking for a 100mil studio feature, Point Man may disappoint you. If you're concerned with narrative and performance - and originality in a cinematic landscape littered with shameless derivation - give it a go. You may find yourself a gem.

DJM

I was there, this one gets it right. Bad times respect to the fallen who didn't make it back John Davis