Vantage Point

I thought this looked cool when I first saw the trailer, it seemed to be a pretty full on action film, and for the most part, it's just that.

You have to get past the first half or so of the film, which is where it gets it's "Vantage Point" title from (well, you know what I mean). We kick off in Spain, big event with the US President in attendance, there's a big news OB crew, secret service guys, an odd Forest Whitaker with a camcorder (NB: keen eyes will notice that the camcorder footage isn't the ACTUAL footage, or even close) and a whole load of the public.

The first segment opens with the POV of the news team covering the event for the viewers back home, all goes well until the President is shot, the shit hits the fan and then... rewind and we follow someone else's POV. This happens a few times, and I think just one too many, where you start to think "Again?? Can we not move on yet?"

Eventually it does move on and becomes a more traditional chase thriller, and a bloody good one at that, full on pulse racing, edge of seat stuff, even with Dennis Quaid at the helm, saying that I think he does a bloody good job in his role.

Now there are plot holes, and to be honest, I would've liked a bit more depth to it as it's more of a snapshot event rather than a long term story, but as a single event, it's able to keep the pace up and layer the action on.

I'm not entirely sure whether it would've been better or not with a more traditional structure, rather than the numerous rewinds, it would be trickier to cover all the angles effectively and still keep the pace of the ending. A damn good watch tho.


Vantage Point - 7.. no sod it 8/10