Etat d'urgence

This film is much better than the ratings its been getting from others. I've watched many other thrillers over the years, most with larger budgets, and would place this one somewhere in the middle of the pack. Blackport gives a decent acting performance, though not of the caliber of other great "thriller" actresses such as Jodie Foster and Laura Linney, and yet the movie was quite compelling and intense. Sure, the story plot was simple, and some of the cast came across a bit stilted, but nevertheless it held my rapt attention for its entire length. I look forward to the next sequel in the 3-part trilogy about Anna Carter. Given her medical condition and her plan, it makes for a fascinating story.

OK so the story line is different but the characters are cliché and the actors are appalling. Especially the lead actor (Kristine Blackport), she thinks too highly of her acting abilities and you can definitely tell! I'm really surprised that she is the lead actress in this movie, I mean it has independent written all over it, but still she is atrocious, many of the extras could probably have done the role/movie more justice. The music also doesn't help at all, it's annoying at best. The only thing that made this movie watchable was definitely the cinematography! It was artful and flowing and did the most towards helping understand what was going on, although the scene changes were a little jumpy, visually this film was great! Acting-wise it was beyond poor!

Yes this movie really is as bad as a movie can be.

If someone was trying to make a loser of movie, I don't think they could have succeeded any better than this. The premise is old and tired. Also, revenge-filled,lead-females simply don't sell...look a Jodie Foster's movie, The Brave One...studios aren't touching this genre right now.

The cinematography is NOT good, many shots are out of focus including the opening where she is sitting on a park bench. A really difficult feat for a digital camera. But then, the out of focus shots keep on coming.

Then there is the audio. The lead actress speaks so softly compared to other people in the various scenes, it's as if there was no sound engineer on the set. At least, in post, they should have tried to normalize the conversations.

Next, the writing. OMG...did someone not think to get coverage on this script? Finally...the acting...some of it is pretty okay, but not the lead. Totally unbelievable...no emotion...no nothing...Sure, some of it can be attributed to the poor script, but didn't someone think to tell her to speak more clearly? I tried to watch it, but could only get through about 5 minutes before I couldn't take any more.

I saw "Juncture" recently at the Mill Valley Film Festival and I'll start off by saying I left 15 minutes before the end. A few twists, yes, but I found this thriller mind-numbingly repetitive, with less than mediocre performances and dialog. It was impressive visually, and I credit the filmmakers for squeezing the most production value out of a small budget. Unfortunately, it was rife with stereotypes, and there have been movies about female vigilantes before so I can't give it high marks in the originality department. I came to the conclusion after 90 minutes that even the most incredibly shocking twist ending couldn't make up for the hour and a half of dreariness I was subjected to. The lead, Kristine Blackport is a beautiful woman to look at, but her performance was just plain leaden. The earthy girlfriend, the sensitive love interest, the CEO mentor who could have walked out of any number of 80's plots, and the too-easy-to-hate "perps" she knocks off were just sloppy stereotypes plain and simple. Throw in a few clumsy homages, and you have something which might be an amusing diversion on DVD at three in the morning, washed down with cold pizza and beer. I would like to say it might do okay in the Direct-to-DVD market, but I'd still end up hitting the fast forward button.

When it comes to the Morality of a Vigilante, whether it's "Batman" or "Paul Kersey", the Argument is the Same.

When the "System" Breaks Down and Fails to Deal with Society's Myriad of Problems,

should "Citizens" take the Challenge and "Aid" Law Enforcement and the Judicial to the Benefit of the Collective as a Whole.

The "Vigilante Problem" has Good Arguments on Both Sides.

But Without the "Fictional" Vigilante" the Pop-Culture would Surely be the Lesser.

This is a Multi-Tiered Movie with Terminal Illness Added into the Mix and that makes it more "Rich" than Most Stories of this Kind.

It Helps the Movie Along Nicely In-Between Anna's Rage and Revenge.

The Movie is a Low-Budget Affair.

The Director and Screen-Writer Squeeze the Resources for just the Right Amount of Sleek and Satisfying Visuals and Multiple Peripheral Characters that Intrigue.

Kristine Blackport is a Good Casting and Brings both Sensitivity and a Hard-Edge to the Multi-Dimensional Role. The Rest of the Cast All Do Fine Work.

Slightly Above Average in its Weight Class and is...

Worth a Watch.