Point Man

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.

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.

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.

Sorry but not enough sweat for the Nam. Next time hire cast that look like Vietnamese instead of 3rd generation America/Spaniards. Try using an advisor that has time in country. Poor plot, poor story but actors gave it their all. Find another way to waste 2 hours.

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.