Capital Celluloid 2024 — Day 306: Fri Nov 8

Point Break (Bigelow, 1991): Prince Charles Cinema, 8.45pm


This great Kathryn Bigelow action film is getting a 4K re-release (and there are a number of screenings including at the Prince Charles Cinema) but this opening night presentation is from a 35mm print. How hard has it been in recent years to screen Kathryn Bigelow’s surf classic? You can find out here via this article detailing Sophie Brown's quest.

Time Out review:
Undercover FBI agent Keanu Reeves strips for action and gets into some serious male bonding when he infiltrates the Californian surfing fraternity in search of a gang of bank robbers who call themselves the Ex-Presidents. During the course of the investigation, however, Reeves is seduced by 'spiritual' surfer Patrick Swayze's cosmic talk about one-ness with the sea, and becomes addicted to the adrenalin rush of life on the edge. Despite this theme of Faustian redemption, the distinction between good and evil is far from black and white, Swayze's reckless craving for danger filling an elemental void in Reeves' hollow soul. There are times when the dialogue is a shade comic, others when the brilliantly staged action set pieces become almost abstract. Plausibility, though, has never been director Kathryn Bigelow's strong suit, and there's precious little to be found here. Even so, there's enough high-octane, heart-racing excitement for a dozen movies.
Nigel Floyd

Here (and above) is the trailer.

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