My Film Review For- Vantage Point

Vantage Point: 2.5/ 5 stars

How do you shove 8 different points view or five different perspectives in a relatively short 82-minute action pact film? Simple , do it with choppy editing, an array of under-developed one-dimensional characters, and layers of a complex political plot that goes nowhere fast . The new film Vantage Point does all that and more. Vantage Point is the newest in line of action films that combines modern day issues like terrorism( a subject that is most wearing in films now a days). The story revolves around the assassination of an American president and two bombings that take place at global war summit in Salamanca, Spain. The story is told in the view point of 5 characters( despite the fact the film’s poster advertises 8 vantage points?) including : a secret service agent who returns to work after being shot on duty , a news producer, an American tourist, a man who has been double crossed and a Spaniard mother. Each story is given about 10-15 minutes of viewpoint but of course become repetitious as we view the presidential assassination and two bombings…over and over…and over. I grew impatient with the film’s pace and lack of tension or suspense that was given to each story. The film sped quickly into chaos without any sort of glue holding it together. What was even more annoying was the films constant “rewinding” of each vantage point as we ended with one point and started with another. As if we needed see all this rewinding, how stupid does this film think the audience is? The film also had powerhouse cast that is never fully utilize including A-list actors like Sigourney Weaver, Forest Whitaker, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt, and Matthew Fox. All delivered performances that were either forgettable or one -note. Lets also not forget the laughable “terrorists” who play cliché foreign villains with exaggerated accents and one liners like “The beauty of American arrogance is that they cannot imagine a world in which they are not a step ahead.” Whatever. Now don’t get me wrong, the film had its AD-Vantages( I know, lame pun) . The film does get exciting towards that last 25 minutes as we get closer to figuring out this chaotic mess out. Not because we care about the story but simply because we want this damn film to end. We are shown some quite astounding car chases, a gun standoff , and a twist that will leave you awe-struck. Sadly, this is not enough in order to save the film from its inconsistency and overall flat story.