POINT BLANK
US, 2019, 86 minutes, Colour.
Anthony Mackie, Frank Grillo, Marcia Gay Harden, Christian Cooke, Markise Moore, Boris Mc Giver.
Directed by Joe Lynch.
This is a brief thriller, and adaptation to the city of Cincinnati of a French film, Point Blank (A Bout Portant). The action takes place over a short period of time.
The initial focus is on police corruption, the murder of an official, incriminating material on USB, and a criminal fleeing from the house, wounded, picked up by his brother in a car and taken to hospital.
The other focus is on a nurse working in the hospital, his wife pregnant and expecting very soon, taken by the wounded man’s brother and the nurse forced to take wounded man from the hospital, the wife later being taken as hostage and threat.
The tension is on the relationships between the two brothers and their hostages, the nurse having to keep the wounded man going.
Eventually, there is confrontation with the police investigators, a revelation of the mastermind of the corruption.
There is a humorous interlude when the wounded man goes to a drug lord in Cincinnati who has an obsession with movies and they stage a diversion at the police station which the drug lord sees as an achievement in filming.
Anthony Mackie is the nurse. Frank Grillo is the wounded man. Marcia Gay Harden is the chief investigator.
1. Crime and police action in Cincinnati? The remake of a French drama?
2. The short time span of the action? Intensity? Crime, investigation, pursuit, doublecross, the nurse, the pregnant wife? The musical score?
3. The city of Cincinnati, the range of areas, homes, the streets, warehouses, pawnshops, Hospital and interiors, car chases? The police precincts? Atmosphere?
4. The situation, the initial shooting, the dark, Abe and his flight from the house, shot, the pursuit, Mateo waiting for him in the car, driving, going to the hospital? Abe being admitted? Mateo waiting for Abe to escape? The role of the hospital and the staff?
5. Paul, as a nurse, his work, accepted at the hospital? Tending Abe? At home, his wife, pregnant? Mateo coming to the house, the threat to Paul’s wife? Taking her hostage?
6. Abe, his control, threatening Paul? Paul, the police presence, the detectives? His way of getting Abe out of the hospital, and the elevator, the medication? The driving, the pursuits? The action, Paul’s concern, hostility? The old man with his trolley, his helping them escape? At the pawn shop, the shootout, the rogue police? Paul and the gun, shooting the police guard?
7. Mateo, Paul’s wife, his care for her, her struggle to get free? At the warehouse? Lying down? Labour pains coming?
8. The police, police corruption, the revelation of the detective in charge and her manipulations? The flashbacks to the scene in the house, the masked police, the importance of the memory stick all the information on it? Setting up Paul? His escape, the reason for their pursuit?
9. The memory stick, its being hidden?
10. The buildup to the confrontation, Mateo’s death? Abe and his anger?
11. Paul and the bonding with Abe? Abe setting up the fire, with the help of the head of the gang – his personality, his thugs, his being mad over films, action films, a would-be director? Getting his opportunity with the fire and the money shot?
12. Abe, disguised as police, Paul as a nurse, getting into the police precinct? The concern about Paul’s wife giving birth? He being at the station?
13. The confrontation with the detective, the truth, her motivations, the shock of her killing her partner? The fights, her being shot, her being photographed admitting her guilt? Getting it to the television station, it is being played, her watching it as she died?
14. Paul, the birth? Then one year later, the first birthday party – and the card greeting from Abe?
