Sunday

The first half an hour of Point Break is excellent, and the last few minutes are good (I've been thinking the ending of a film is essential for the impression especially of cinema goers, defining that important walk from the theatre to the tube station). When I was younger, this film was very cool. I was far too underage to watch it, but somehow we managed. Girls (I'm thinking mainly of my sister) loved Keanu Reeves (the perfect role for him), and guys wanted to be him, the music was good (with even a role for Anthony Kiedis), there were naked women, and guns, and of course surfing. The movie does quite excitingly capture a culture, a time and a place. I was reminded of it recently by the references in Hot Fuzz, and so decided to watch it tonight. As I say, it starts very well, with sharp dialogue, and with another of those great minor-role performances from John C. McGinley (Doctor Cox in Scrubs). Then, however, it deteriorates into pretty average stuff - routine chases and love scenes. It's not as glossy as some movies, and does begin to scratch the surface of the cop undercover/buddy cop genre, but only that. It never goes deep enough. The ending is satisfyingly grim and uncertain, with again a hint towards the psychology of the two main characters. Overall, after those first thirty minutes, I felt let down and disappointed. This is a strange movie, incidentally by a rare female director (Kathryn Bigelow), and owes most of its success to its era rather than its art.