Point Blank

This movie shows that someone else besides Hollywood knows how to make an action movie. I saw the movie with my wife who is notoriously averse to violent movies but thoroughly enjoyed this one. It is good enough that I purchased the DVD to add to my permanent collection. The action starts in the first seconds and does not quit until the end credits. This movie is notably effective in that there is no gratuitous violence and the violence that there is, is entirely logical and minimal related directly to the story. That is not to say that the story itself is somewhat of a stretch but that is the way of most engaging action movies. It is the story of a common man involved by chance in a much larger sequence of events involving criminal actions by certain police officers and criminal elements. Beyond that I would not like to give away any more of the story. My advice is to purchase it or arrange to,see it for yourself, you will be well rewarded if you enjoy this genre.

From the very beginning this story has you locked in. The movie has never a dull moment and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Definitely one at the tippy top of my list!

A decently done action movie. Recommended for those who prefer high speed chases on and around public transportation. The movie owes a bit to Diva (1981), which is a 6 star on a 5-star scale.

[Not to be confused to a 1967 film "Point Blank" starring Lee Marvin or a 1998 film starring Mickey Rourke.]A French thriller "À bout portant" (English title "Point Blank") is about an ordinary middle-aged man Samuel (Gilles Lellouche), whose pregnant wife Nadia (Elena Anaya) is kidnapped by a mysterious person. It seems Samuel, a nurse working at a Paris hospital, is unwittingly involved in a web of intrigue, and he has to do a lot of things to save her life, some illegal, from those who are connected with crimes.Excuse me for giving you only this slightly vague introduction to the storyline, which is full of twists and turns. But I can say the director Fred Cavayé fuses slick and absorbing storytelling with noir-like atmosphere, and the acting is unanimously effective. Though the plot itself is incredible, even impossible at times, and some characters need more depth, the film remains a gripping thriller with tense action sequences. The subway scenes are one of the highlights of the fast-paced 85 minute thriller."À bout portant" is directed and co-written by Fred Cavayé (with Guillaume Lemans). You may not know his name, but perhaps you have seen a Russell Crowe thriller "The Next Three Days," which is actually a Hollywood remake of Cavayé's 2008 film "Pour elle" (his debut as a feature director). In "Pour elle" - sorry, I haven't seen the remake yet - in which extraordinary situations around the everyman-type hero push his willpower to its limit, and in the director's new thriller the protagonist Samuel, whether he likes it or not, must summon up his courage and do what he is required to do in order to prevent the worst.Maybe this is not a groundbreaking suspense; maybe some ideas or "twists" are not really refreshing; probably you will notice things you have already seen somewhere else. Still, with tight narrative and some intense moments "À bout portant" is an entertaining thriller, and I wouldn't be surprised if some Hollywood studio is planning to remake it with, say, Matt Damon as a reluctant hero.

WOW sums it up. What a great movie and I'm hard to please. I couldn't stop watching - the hero and his wife just had to make it. I would have been mad as hell if this one didn't have a happy ending. What a nail bitter. You end up cheering for the bad guys and finding some of the good guys are the worst.

Where in the hell did this thing come from? This is one of the best films I have ever seen, foreign or domestic. It never lets up. Slam bang action from start to finish. Great acting and immaculately edited. I see the director has worked with Russell Crowe on something, and I doubt Russell can speak french convincingly,so it must be in english. Possibly the best action vehicle of the past 30 years. Watch it. You won't be disappointed.

IMDB links to Amazon, order now for 1967 Lee Marvin movie gives you this remake while showing 1967 movie that is a good movie. Poor job Amazon. Watched 3 minutes, hoping is was a coming attraction for some subtitled French junk. Nope it was Fench junk.

Hard to find movie, glad Amazon carried it. I found it interesting and fast paced after the first couple of scenes set things up. Actors were all good kept me interested throughout and a kind of tricky ending. To me a bad French-action films is better than 90% of the American ones. And this film is a very good one.