Don't think for a moment that this film establishes, let alone delves into, the conflicts and diametrically opposing aspects found within our protagonist, Maggie (Bridgit Fonda). Instead, "Point of No Return" is all over the place, this because of the screen-scrivener's apparent use of stream of unconsciousness.
Consequently, there's no return to reality (if there was any from the start) once this train's left the station. Indeed, the film's a mishmash of conflicting scenarios: "She's a psycho!" "No, she's a tender-hearted lost soul." "She's a man-eater!" "No, she's a fragile child." "She's a seasoned siren!" "No, she's only now in the throws of first love." And, so, on and on the celluloid chugs.
See, presently, femme fatale Maggie, the "Assassin" (title in the UK), enters into training as a kill-joy for the US government. How she got to that point is truly ludicrous. And worse is fact that a third of the movie is wasted in failed attempt to establish as believable her two-dimensional "transformation" (it's maybe better to think in binary terms: "0-1" transposed into "1-0").
Moreover, Maggie, in seeking out to silence each target, kills numerous others. Talk about collateral damage. Innocent victims stack up into the dozens! And why, in the first place, is she after those targets? Except in one, truly lame, "nuclear" instance, no reason's given.
Not to be lost in translation here, however, joy can be found in the cinematography-- whether a scene be subtle/tender or full-throttle, or, for instance, in instantaneous scene swipes from the steely still to the crazed. And there's also the sure-handed talents of Fonda and Gabriel Byrne (as Maggie's handler), who provide reason for why anyone ever considering a return to this heavy-handed material.
Consequently, there's no return to reality (if there was any from the start) once this train's left the station. Indeed, the film's a mishmash of conflicting scenarios: "She's a psycho!" "No, she's a tender-hearted lost soul." "She's a man-eater!" "No, she's a fragile child." "She's a seasoned siren!" "No, she's only now in the throws of first love." And, so, on and on the celluloid chugs.
See, presently, femme fatale Maggie, the "Assassin" (title in the UK), enters into training as a kill-joy for the US government. How she got to that point is truly ludicrous. And worse is fact that a third of the movie is wasted in failed attempt to establish as believable her two-dimensional "transformation" (it's maybe better to think in binary terms: "0-1" transposed into "1-0").
Moreover, Maggie, in seeking out to silence each target, kills numerous others. Talk about collateral damage. Innocent victims stack up into the dozens! And why, in the first place, is she after those targets? Except in one, truly lame, "nuclear" instance, no reason's given.
Not to be lost in translation here, however, joy can be found in the cinematography-- whether a scene be subtle/tender or full-throttle, or, for instance, in instantaneous scene swipes from the steely still to the crazed. And there's also the sure-handed talents of Fonda and Gabriel Byrne (as Maggie's handler), who provide reason for why anyone ever considering a return to this heavy-handed material.