Point Man

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.

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

While clearly made on a budget, Point Man is a refreshing take on a genre that seemed to have outlived its lifespan. But maybe that's that point - it is not a film of its genre... its a solid drama. And at the heart of drama is conflict and Point Man had plenty of it. The SFX aren't great, but that's forgiveable, and the audio could have been more solid... but what sets this apart from films of its scale and budget are a few things. The writing: stellar scripting by writer/director Phil Blattenberger. Poetic, cinematic, filled with subtle nuance. The cast was also top notch. But mostly it was the big moments: when a solider decides to intervene in a war crime; the ending (I won't spoil), and when our lead actor - who was outstanding - confronted the 'I love the smell of napalm' style character in Sgt Calhoun - a wild, ferocious, charismatic performance by Paul de Havilland (any relation to Olivia?). That meeting between our hero and anti-hero is the turning point of not only the story but also the theme: it introduces Casper to his central plot problem and also the moral ambiguities that arise in conflict. Outstanding on almost all fronts.

The Good... In the film making industry they say that story is king, and this story is a good as it gets!

The Okay... The acting is good for the most part, but certain dialog deliveries, handling of weapons, and urgency of wartime shots are wooden and uninspired.

The Ugly... The special effects are clearly budget level. As long as you don't allow them to take you out of the movie's experience, you will really enjoy this film.

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