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This is how you make an action-packed thriller. Swift, brutal and void of any kind of silly subplots that give too much time to words when the characters should just be racing for their lives. They quickly establish the characters in a clean and effective way and then shock you by going right into the action. With a very nice 80 minute runtime the film breezes by without dragging for a moment and you really just get caught up in the exciting chaos of it all. There's definitely no reinventing the wheel here, but it stands up with Taken and Running Scared as one of the best action films to come out this past decade. It was exactly what I wanted.

There were some moments that really made me sit up in my chair just by how much of a gut punch they were; some things I definitely didn't see coming. Gilles Lellouche is a great leading man, capable of portraying both the everyman and the action star qualities of his character while still being completely believable when he has to portray the dramatic moments to keep you on his side and understanding of what he is fighting for. It's stylish as hell and is seriously just pushing it's foot to pavement for the entire running time. This is a real crowd-pleaser.

Point Blank (2010)

Not to be confused with the semi-classic 1967 movie of the same title with Lee Marvin, this is not a remake or an echo of that. What this French action thriller is fits another category--the non-stop kinetic run from the bad-guys film, which has become a kind of staple. Think the Bourne movies, or a couple later Liam Neeson films, where the hero gets himself into a terrible situation that requires running and running and running.

And that's enough, in a way, because you can't stop looking. There are no lulls. In fact, some of the moments have such kinetic surprise to them they deserve study. Your stomach will turn. Don't expect a big rationale. Don't even quite expect to care for anything except that our main man, and his wife, survive the ordeal. There are crosses and double-crosses. There is horrid abuse of women which I could do without (the rationale might just be the perils of Pauline kind of thing, saving her with the handsome male to the rescue, but it's just plain abusive). There is one female cop who is a great tough archetype. And lots of bad violent men.

But, truly, none of this is meant to matter. You just grab onto the handles and don't let go. It's really really well made, visually, the camera-work and editing taking front seat. I'd see it on the biggest screen you can, since that's where it's all at.

Smart action thrillers are rare. Rarer still is a smart action thriller that features a complex yet comprehensible (and credible) plot, characters you care about, and vivid, crisp directing. "Point Blank" is one of these rarities. It utilizes many elements of classic action films—an innocent "good guy" who unwittingly becomes caught up in a dangerous plot, a woman in jeopardy, corrupt cops, and unexpected twists. The film avoids cliché, however, and it moves along at lightning speed (total running time is about 80 minutes). The French setting is an added bonus, and the acting and editing are very well done. Subtract a star if subtitles annoy you.

I discovered this thriller ordering some good DVDs on Amazon. I thought it must not be bad with 4.5/5 stars and rating of 6.8 out 10 on IMDb. Then the running time with 80 minutes is not so long. In fact I wasn't disappointed and I spent with my wife an entertaining evening. All the actors and the director did a good job here. Some scenes were perhaps too violent and one or two sequences not very clear to follow. But if you can look away from these little flaws it works for a solid action movie. It's not the one you will talk days later but it's definitely one of the better ones you can buy or rent in this genre. Just check it out. It takes you quick on a fast paced and packed cat and mouse chase. This will take your breath away. 6/10.

Yup, Point Blank is a no lulls, come-atcha action movie made all the more believable by the nice plot and superior script. No superspy here, just an everyman caught up in the wrong place & time.

And yes, there are a few plot twists that I find a bit hard to swallow, but because the protagonist is so compelling & believable, I'll take them without looking back.

I credit the editing on this movie for keeping it surgically precise. There are no breaks or falters, Point Blank keeps building towards it's action climax.

9/10 - Highly Recommended.