Did it ? I don't think it did. I might have found out if I'd listened to the director's commentary, with Soderbergh, but I couldn't be bothered. Maybe I'll take it in at some future time. Otherwise it was quite interesting, but terminally puzzling. It didn't hang together very well. More or less a permanent clash of personalities. Difficult to know why they were so cool with each other. Why did Angie try to batter Lee so furiously, with no effect ? Frankly, I needed more clarity. What exactly was it about ? Did Marvin collect his money ? Did he wind up as a part-owner boss of the mob ? Most of the rest of the cast were dead by the end. Similar to Bacon's opinion about his own paintings. Meaningless, unless you find meaning in them. One critic thinks that Marvin was actually dead throughout the entire movie.

Since this movie is based on the same book as Payback, I was curious as to what the 1967 Point Blank had to offer. Even though it's an old film, it's hard to excuse some of the creative choices here.Some of the still photography and in-between moments are atmospheric and enjoyable to watch. The problem is in the main guts of the film, there's a stumbling and overdone significance pushed in laboured scenes. Kind of a theatrical rehearsal level vibe underpins some scenes. All the more reason that Payback 1999 is such a welcome reboot of this story.

Lesson one, don't mess with Lee Marvin. This dude is bad, and ice cold. After getting stabbed in the back (well, actually, shot in the chest) and left for dead, he pursues the money that was owed to him up the chain in an organized crime syndicate. In one fight, he hammers a guy on the ground in the groin. When he's shot at in an underground garage, he calmly takes a couple of steps back behind a pillar, and allows the police to take care of the shooter. He's so direct and menacing in making it clear he's going to be paid, or he's going to kill you. He's a terrific tough guy, and turns in an excellent performance.The film was entertaining, but I'm not sure it ever really broke out of the usual Hollywood formula of a very brave, very tough guy taking on an unseen web of corruption. I was reminded of The Big Heat (1953), which ironically also starred Lee Marvin, and there are many others. After you've heard the premise, you can imagine what's going to happen, and it's got a few plot holes as well. On the other hand, it's well made within this genre, with director John Boorman filming at Alcatraz, using a gritty, stark style, and employing mini-flashbacks to realistically show Marvin's state of mind. John Vernon, ubiquitous bad guy from this era, is solid, and it was nice to see Angie Dickinson, particularly in the scene where she gets mischievous and annoys Marvin. The bit with her wailing away at him while he stands there impassively fit well and made me smile. Less successful is Carroll O'Connor, who is a little harder to believe in the few scenes he has, though it was interesting to see him in role other than Archie Bunker. Overall, a good action 60's action film, but probably a little over-hyped, with the gushings of critic David Thomson leading the way. I'd give a slight edge to Bullitt, from the following year, if you have a choice.

Based upon the superior pulp fiction book, The Hunter by the fabulous Donald E Westlake, writing as Richard Stark under which name he never put a foot wrong; how could anything go wrong? Well, it doesn't, apart from substituting the better name of 'Parker', this is just as sure fire a winner as the book. Lee Marvin is amazingly good. Quite, cool almost statuesque and then devastatingly quick and sure footed. The thrills here are not in looking out for the safety of Parker/Walker but in seeing how he will, inevitably, outwit them. A joy to watch, director Boorman always has an eye on the visuals and whilst this might not quite have the charm of Italian thrillers and gialli of the time that says more about the differences between Italian and US interior design for the exteriors are most imaginatively shot. Similarly US fashion cannot quite match the Italians but the most effective Angie Dickinson does wear at least a couple of very fetching costumes.