Review: Point Break at the BFI’s ‘Art of Action’ season
Cinema: Point Break (1991)
If you’re reading this, then chances are you’ve already seen Point Break or at least know of it. Kathryn Bigelow’s classic surfer/bank robber actioner has somehow stood the test of time and now is celebrating a fantastic 4K release and is being presented pride of place at the BFI’s ‘Art of Action’ season.
A note on the season – it’s great. Covering everything from Buster Keaton to Jean-Claude Van Damme, you can pop in to see Point Break and probably end up doing a double bill. My one-two punch of choice was Face/Off followed by Pat N’ Keanu.
Point Break came in the midst of Bigelow’s fantastic run of Near Dark, Blue Steel then Strange Days. I stand firm in my opinion that whilst the likes of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty are well made films they just hold zero (sorry) rewatch value.
Not something you can level at Point Break. It’s one of those films that if you’re channel surfing and see the ex-presidents mid bank job, Johnny Utah catching a gnarly wave or Gary Busey yelling a bunch it simply commands your attention and the only surfing you’ll need is the type on the screen.
It’s got all the classic action movie tropes, but it’s so well done. For example, John C. McGinley’s perpetually raging FBI director might just be the same angry authority figure we see in many films like this, but you don’t often see the technical achievement of THAT chase scene too often.
And if that’s not enough, we all know there’s a little bit of a love story there between Bodhi and Utah. Just look at Bodhis face when he first meets Utah – it cannot be denied.
Whether you’ve seen it a hundred times or you’ve only heard word – get down to the BFI or your local cinema and revel in it in gorgeous 4K. It’s never looked better. And if you don’t, you might just be young, dumb and full of [WORD LIMIT REACHED].
Review by Thom.
