Point and Shoot (film)
| Point and Shoot | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster for Point and Shoot | |
| Directed by | Marshall Curry |
| Written by | Marshall Curry |
| Produced by | Marshall Curry Elizabeth Martin Matthew VanDyke |
| Cinematography | Alan Jacobsen Matthew VanDyke |
| Edited by | Marshall Curry |
| Music by | James Baxter |
| Animation by | Joe Posner |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | The Orchard |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Point and Shoot is a 2014 documentary film written and directed by Marshall Curry. It was produced by Marshall Curry, Elizabeth Martin and Matthew VanDyke.[1]
Synopsis
[edit]Point and Shoot tells the story of Matthew VanDyke, a sheltered 26-year-old who left his Baltimore home and set off on a self-described "crash course in manhood."[2] While on a 35,000-mile motorcycle trip through Northern Africa and the Middle East, he struck up an unlikely friendship with a Libyan hippie. When revolution broke out in Libya, VanDyke decided to join his friend in the fight against dictator Muammar Gaddafi. With a gun in one hand and a camera in the other, VanDyke joined and documented the war until he was captured by Gaddafi forces and held for six months in solitary confinement.
Release
[edit]The film was acquired by theatrical distributors The Orchard[3][4] and was released in theaters on October 31, 2014.[5]
Reception
[edit]The film has a 74% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 54 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Thrilling and thought-provoking, Point and Shoot captures one man's fascinating — if troublingly narcissistic — 'crash course in manhood.'"[6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[7]
In The Washington Post, Ann Hornaday described the film as an "absorbing, ingeniously crafted documentary" that gives the viewer a "street-level glimpse of the realities of war."[8] Stephen Holden wrote in The New York Times that the film suggests "the addictive rush of battlefield adventure is hard-wired into the male psyche."[9] Peter Bradshaw criticized the film in The Guardian, stating that the movie focusses on VanDyke himself and fails to explore the wider geopolitical context of the Libyan conflict.[10]
Awards
[edit]- Tribeca Film Festival, Best Documentary Feature (winner)[11][12][13]
- Independent Film Festival of Boston, Special Jury Prize (winner)[14][15]
- Little Rock Film Festival, Special Jury Prize: Extraordinary Courage in Filmmaking - Matthew VanDyke (winner)[16]
- Emmy Award, Outstanding Graphic Design & Art Direction (nominee)[17]
- Gotham Independent Film Awards, Best Documentary (nominee)[18]
- International Documentary Association, Best Documentary (nominee)[19]
- Cinema Eye Honors, Outstanding Achievement in Editing (nominee)[20]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ RogerEbert.com
- ^ POV|PBS
- ^ "Marshall Curry's Tribeca-Winning Doc 'Point and Shoot' Goes to The Orchard". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ^ Bernstein, Paula (6 August 2014). "The Orchard Acquires Academy Award-Nominated Director Marshall Curry's 'Point and Shoot'". Indiewire. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ^ "See The Film". Point and Shoot Official Website. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
- ^ "Point and Shoot (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
- ^ "Point and Shoot Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
- ^ Ann Hornaday (25 November 2014). "'Point and Shoot' review: Matthew VanDyke's story takes twists and turns".
- ^ Stephen Holden (31 October 2014). "Look! I'm Just Like Lawrence of Arabia". New York Times.
- ^ Peter Bradshaw (16 January 2015). "Point and Shoot review – a very selfie adventure". The Guardian.
- ^ O'Connell, Max (24 April 2014). "2014 Tribeca Film Festival Winners Include 'Zero Motivation,' 'Point and Shoot' and more". Indiewire. Indiewire. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ^ Cox, Gordon (24 April 2014). "Tribeca Film Festival: Israeli Film 'Zero Motivation' Scores Two Awards". Variety. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ^ Salovaara, Sarah (25 April 2014). "2014 Tribeca Film Festival Winners". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ^ "IFFBoston '14 Jury Award Winners Announced". lonelyreviewer.com/. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ^ Malcuit, Caitlin. "IFF Boston Winners Announced". thebackstagebeat.com. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ^ Stephenson, Will (19 May 2014). "Little Rock Film Festival Awards Roundup". Arkansas Times. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ^ Pillitteri, Paul. "Nominees for the 37th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards Announced". emmyonline.com. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ^ Cox, Gordon (23 October 2014). "Gotham Award Nominations: 'Boyhood' Scores Four (FULL LIST)". Variety. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- ^ Thompson, Anne (29 October 2014). "International Documentary Association Nominations Impact the Oscar Shortlist". Indiewire. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- ^ Pond, Steve (12 November 2014). "'Citizenfour' Leads Cinema Eye Honors Nominations". The Wrap. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
