Review - Vantage Point

Studio/Production Company: Columbia Pictures
Director: Pete Travis
Written by: Barry Levy
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense violence and action, some disturbing images and brief strong language
Release Date: February 22nd, 2008 (theater), July 1st, 2008 (DVD)
Genre: Conspiracy thriller
Strong Points: Great acting with few shortcomings; characters are easy to care about; layered storytelling makes an intriguing story even more interesting
Weak Points: At least one layer brings little to the table
Technical Score: B+
Artistic Score: B+
Final Score (not an average): B+
Moral Warnings: Bursts of strong profanity (including "s***," "b****," "b******," one instance of "f***," and some lesser profanities); aftermath of a bombing shows bodies lying around (usually not detailed); several characters exchange (and receive) gunfire, but gore is not really present; one character believes another is cheating on him


"The president has been shot!" This base premise of Vantage Point has been heard time and time again since advertisement spots hit prior to the film's release. With the storytelling taking place from several different perspectives, or vantage points, the whodunnit thriller begins.

With a pace that hardly lets up, the movie begins with a series of shocking events that put viewers on edge right away. After the initial onslaught of trauma takes place, the film rewinds and picks up the same story with a focus on a different part of the storyline and character group.

This cycle of shifting focuses takes place several times before the film's conclusion, each shift carrying a new piece of the puzzle with it. This formula actually works very well for the movie. The detail of the situation of the world and personal lives presented in the movie is impressive. Somehow, on the whole, replaying the same base events doesn't tend to come off as repetitive.

However, there is one perspective that comes off as very repetitive. This is, easily, the biggest letdown of the film. The letdown aspect is made worse by the fact that it is none other than the perspective of Howard Lewis, played by Forest Whitaker, that comes off as being so unnecessary. Make no mistake, Whitaker's signature brand of humanity comes through clearly in the film. There's nothing wrong with his acting, but his character seems forced into the story. His perspective adds very little to the story, and it feels like a time-filler.

Then again, that really is the film's biggest downfall, and it isn't a particularly terrible one. It is actually quite easy to forgive thanks to the great acting throughout the film. Dennis Quaid, along with the rest of the cast, puts on a great performance. Many of the actors, like Quaid and Sigourney Weaver, have been around for quite some time, but they show that they still have what it takes to give top-tier performances.

The story is solid, and it contains many twists and turns revealed throughout the film. Fortunately, only a couple of these twists are obvious and expected. For the sake of not giving out any spoilers, nothing else will be said of the story. The story-telling, however, is surprisingly well executed. There are, as mentioned before, overlapping story elements, but the different focuses give enough variety and new information for the repetition to actually be a good thing (generally speaking).

Visually, the film avoids (again, as a rule of thumb) cheesy camera angles and tricks. The camera work is dynamic and keeps all action moving at an appropriate pace. Special effects (like explosions) work very well. Post-production effects, like the rewinding of film, are actually handled in a way that looks good in context.

Morally, the film is a mixed bag. It doesn't push its PG-13 rating as much as it could, but it still has its moral issues. Profanity is largely the biggest issue. Numerous uses of the s-word, some b-words, and one f-word, mar the film. Violence is a lesser issue as far as what is generally seen is concerned (as acts of violence are often limited to missed gunshots and bloodstains for the bullets that didn't miss). Violence as a concept is big, though. Assassination attempts, aftermath of explosions, deaths, and so on, are fundamental to the events of the story. Whitaker's character has marital problems, but expresses concern for his family. One character believes his girlfriend is cheating on him. Otherwise, sexuality is a non-factor in the film.

On the whole, I was pleasantly surprised with Vantage Point. I went into watching the movie having been excited by the advertisements, but feeling ready to be let down. I came out of the movie finding it to be an entertaining thriller with a few interesting ideas and a lot of great acting. The movie could have been more, but it is still very good on its own terms.

-Kenny Yeager (kenny@revolve21.com)