Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense violence and action, some disturbing images and brief strong language.
90 Minutes
Directed By: Pete Travis
Written By: Barry Levy
Control is compromised! -Thomas Barnes
Synopsis
The President Of The United States is shot while giving a speech in a hostile country and is killed, or is he? Who did it, and why? The answers are available threw the vision of just a few people that happened to be in the crowd that day. What will they unveil and what will the truth reveal?
Review
This off balance flick had a great, original premise with what seemed to promise a non-stop adrenaline rush. Unfortunately, Vantage Points previews were much better than the film itself. While undoubtedly entertaining, and always perking a constant interest, it’s switching from view to view, and character to character succeeded in being coherent, but failed in it’s building climax and it’s ability to make any real connection to the characters. Even Dennis Quaid as the Secret Service man Barnes, who was obviously structured to be the nucleus on the story, seemed to fall short of ever developing at all. The problem with this was, the movie relied on it’s need for character structure instead of relying on the story itself or the events that were occurring. The made the film disorienting and gave it a feel of not being complete. The end should have brought a round about catharsis and feeling of closure, but instead felt unfulfilled.
Though the execution of this idea was not done to it’s ability, the story itself, especially in the first twenty minutes or so, was very gripping and interesting. The unknowing of how each characters perspective played a part in the events that transpired seemed very important, and you as a viewer seemed to be part of the mystery as you were viewing exactly what the characters were. Unfortunately, that delicate connection was severed when the character’s each developed some personal back round and became very involved in the story and it shifted from something original into something banal and done many times over in the past.
It was unfortunate that the film unfolded as it did, and disappointed as it did. It seemed as though it were two movies cut in half that were distant cousins of each other that met up at a family reunion for a night. The confusion of it’s creation left for a dismal climax that’s anticipation way over trumped any possibility of desire to view again.
Cast
- Dennis Quaid as Barnes
- Sigourney Weaver as Rex Brooks
- Matthew Fox as Kent Taylor
- Forrest Whitaker as Howard Lewis
- William Hurt as President Ashton
- Edgar Ramirez as Javier
- Bruce McGill as Phil McCullough
- Said Taghmaoui as Suarez
- Zoe Saldana as Angie Jones
- Enduardo Noriega as Enrique
- Richard T. Jones as Holden
The cast was intriguing. Of course I believe Sigourney Weaver should be in every film ever made since she is my favorite actress, and her short part in the movie left me wanting to see more of her on screen than some of the other characters. Her subtle depiction was what the rest of the film lacked. She was easiest to connect with in the superficial way the rest of the film should have followed with it’s different “vantage points”. Forrest Whitaker and Dennis Quaid are generally good in anything they do. Honestly, they could be doing an infomerical about play-doe and I’d be interested, but even their strength in acting couldn’t distract from the annoyance of the distorted movie that strived to be too much. The rest of the cast was just as interesting and acted just as well. Unfortunately, it was out of their hands, as the finished product was just too much.
Ratings and Suggestions
Though Vantage Point was entirely overambitious, and failed in what it’s previews and first portion of the movie itself promised, it was at least entertaining at its worst, and if it had simplified it’s plot and stopped trying to be something it wasn’t it had the ability to be a great success. The disappoint of it’s mediocre execution was actually worse than the film itself. This movie is worth a rental if your expectations aren’t too high, but if they are, I think a viewing on cable is more reasonable. In the end Vantage Point was just Ok. Two out of Four stars.
bummer, this looked really good. Maybe I’ll catch it when it comes to HBO! Good review Heather!
I finally got to see this yesterday. I really wanted to see it at the theatre when it came out but after seeing it I’m glad I kept that money in my pocket. Like Heather said it was disappointing. Unfortunatly by the end I really didn’t care who did it because there was no character development and they didn’t pull you in. Great idea not executed very well.