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
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
The film was acquired by theatrical distributors The Orchard[3][4] and was released in theaters on October 31, 2014.[5]
Reception
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
- 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
References
- ^ RogerEbert.com
- ^ POV|PBS
- ^ "Marshall Curry's Tribeca-Winning Doc 'Point and Shoot' Goes to The Orchard". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
- ^ Bernstein, Paula (August 6, 2014). "The Orchard Acquires Academy Award-Nominated Director Marshall Curry's 'Point and Shoot'". Indiewire. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ^ "See The Film". Point and Shoot Official Website. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- ^ "Point and Shoot (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^ "Point and Shoot Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^ Ann Hornaday (November 25, 2014). "'Point and Shoot' review: Matthew VanDyke's story takes twists and turns".
- ^ Stephen Holden (October 31, 2014). "Look! I'm Just Like Lawrence of Arabia". New York Times.
- ^ Peter Bradshaw (January 16, 2015). "Point and Shoot review – a very selfie adventure". The Guardian.
- ^ O'Connell, Max (April 24, 2014). "2014 Tribeca Film Festival Winners Include 'Zero Motivation,' 'Point and Shoot' and more". Indiewire. Indiewire. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ^ Cox, Gordon (April 24, 2014). "Tribeca Film Festival: Israeli Film 'Zero Motivation' Scores Two Awards". Variety. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ^ Salovaara, Sarah (April 25, 2014). "2014 Tribeca Film Festival Winners". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ^ "IFFBoston '14 Jury Award Winners Announced". lonelyreviewer.com/. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ^ Malcuit, Caitlin. "IFF Boston Winners Announced". thebackstagebeat.com. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ^ Stephenson, Will (May 19, 2014). "Little Rock Film Festival Awards Roundup". Arkansas Times. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ^ Pillitteri, Paul. "Nominees for the 37th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards Announced". emmyonline.com. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
- ^ Cox, Gordon (October 23, 2014). "Gotham Award Nominations: 'Boyhood' Scores Four (FULL LIST)". Variety. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ Thompson, Anne (October 29, 2014). "International Documentary Association Nominations Impact the Oscar Shortlist". Indiewire. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ Pond, Steve (November 12, 2014). "'Citizenfour' Leads Cinema Eye Honors Nominations". The Wrap. Retrieved January 13, 2015.