DVD Release Date: July 1, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: February 22, 2008
Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of intense violence and action, some disturbing images and brief strong language)
Genre: Action/Thriller
Run time: 90 min.
Director: Pete Travis
Actors: Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Eduardo Noriega, Edgar Ramirez, Ayelet Zurer, Said Taghmaoui, Zoe Saldana, Bruce McGill
From time to time, films attempt to forsake chronology and tell their story out of order. A small group of these films, like Memento and Pulp Fiction, succeed in taking what would be an ordinary story line, and create a bit of intrigue by flouting convention.
While not an especially groundbreaking film like the aforementioned two, Vantage Point takes what would have been a forgettable thriller, and gives the audience a film to puzzle over. Such a film certainly takes advantage of the current popularity of “unravel the weird mystery by telling the story out of order” television shows like “Lost.”
The film portrays an assassination attempt on the President of the United States. President Ashton (William Hurt) arrives in Spain for a summit on the global war on terrorism. Assigned to protect him are Secret Service agents Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid) and Kent Taylor (Matthew Fox), their humorless, tough-guy personas firmly intact. Barnes, newly back on duty after sustaining injuries from an earlier attempt on Ashton’s life, is ready to prove he’s fit for duty. During a rally before the conference, Ashton is shot as he approaches the podium. Chaos ensues as Barnes and fellow agents quickly try to get control of the situation.
This might have been any other run-of-the-mill action movie, however, Vantage Point progresses chronologically. After giving the story from one person’s view, the film jumps back to the start to show what someone else sees. First the news crew, lead by the commanding producer Rex Brooks (Sigourney Weaver), sees the attack unfold on the monitors of their communications center. Then from the perspective of Barnes himself, steely and determined to keep his cool under pressure. Next we follow after a Spanish police officer (Eduardo Noriega) who seemly has some connection to the perpetrators. And then the lone American tourist (Forest Whitaker) with a video camera who is trying to figure out if he caught the attacker on film. And so it goes, with each new vignette, the movie retells the same chronological 20 minutes or so from a new perspective, adding new pieces to the puzzle with each go round.