No Point second-guessing this! (Vantage Point (DVD))

Member Name: mummy2harry

Product:	Vantage Point (DVD)
Date:	01/12/08 (166 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Brilliant premise, great cast, enjoyable film

Disadvantages: None

I used to be quite good with keeping up with the latest film releases, but now I have an active toddler, I don't seem to find much time in the evenings to sit and watch a long film because I usually want to go to bed once I've gotten Harry all settled and asleep! But my other half and I do like to watch a film occasionally, and so on a recent trip to the library, I picked up this relatively new film off the shelf and thought it would be worth a watch.

President Ashton is making a public appearance at a summit in Spain, but nobody expects to see what takes place. When taking the podium, the President is shot in an attempted assassination but it isn't clear who has tried to take the life of the most powerful man in the world. However, 8 different people saw clearly what happened that day, and the film explores the minutes before and after the assassination from each of the their viewpoints, trying to work out who did it. But don't think you're going to get it - twists and turns lurk at every corner with a shocking conclusion.

After reading the synopsis, I was a bit confused how a film made out of the same few minutes of film shown over and over again was going to watchable or in fact enjoyable. However, from the first few minutes the action began and had me and my other half sitting up completely hooked to what was happening on-screen. They certainly didn't hold back when it came to getting the film going quickly, and this definitely drew my attention immediately. For me, the surprise of the timing of the assassination of the President made it all the more watchable and really gets you in the thick of the action very quickly!

The way the film approached the different viewpoints as well was very interesting. The director has made sure to go to the same point of action just before the attempted assassination for each person that saw what happened, and we are introduced to them with a little back story of who they are and why they happened to be in Spain at the summit. The characters range from the President's security guy, to an American who has travelled to the summit alone because of his marital problems, to a Spanish police officer. You think you know what each of them saw, but as the film unfolds the twists and turns of the story become apparent, and its clear there is a lot more to what is going on than meets the eye. And it is there unexpected revelations which keep you entirely hooked to this movie from start to finish - you just have to know what happens next!

In terms of the cast of this film, I think they chose very well. It definitely isn't focused on one character for a good portion of the film, instead choosing to create an ensemble cast eventually coming together with just a few characters for a big ending. Without a doubt the star of the show is veteran actor Dennis Quaid, who takes on the role of Presidential Security guard Thomas Barnes, a man who has just recovered taking a bullet for the president the year before. Quaid portrays Barnes' nervousness and self-doubt incredibly well, yet he also had an air of trust about him as well. He was fantastic to watch, really getting to grips with the character and his whole demeanour. Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland Oscar winner) was also fantastic as American tourist Howard Lewis who captured the whole thing on his home video camera, looking completely lost throughout and totally out of his depth, and to be honest I enjoyed following his story the most. Other great performances came from William Hurt as President Ashton, Ayelet Zurer as sly Veronica and Matthew Fox as Kent Taylor. In fact the whole cast were excellent, without a poor performance between them.

Vantage Point is going to be one of those films that you will love or hate. Personally, I loved it and think it was a great concept for a film. Despite my initial reservations about how a film centering around 10 minutes of action repeated over and over would work, this one definitely pulled it off, without a doubt. The action was constant, from gun fights, to bombs, to fast-paced chases through the Spanish streets and finally to a high-speed car chase which really had me on the edge of my seat! As well as the action element, the film plays on your mind as well, constantly keeping you guessing as to its direction - I kept guessing then something shocking would happen and I would be like "What the heck?!"! It's a really fun film to watch, full of action and mystery as well, and for fans of the action genre I would definitely recommend it - one to remember for the Christmas period when the telly gets rubbish as usual!

Thank you for reading.

Director: Pete Travis / Writer: Barry Levy
Running Time: 90 minutes
Certificate: 12A
Amazon Availiability: £4.98

Main Cast:
Dennis Quaid ... Thomas Barnes
Matthew Fox ... Kent Taylor
Forest Whitaker ... Howard Lewis
William Hurt ... President Ashton
Bruce McGill ... Phil McCullough
Édgar Ramírez ... Javier
Saïd Taghmaoui ... Suarez
Ayelet Zurer ... Veronica
Sigourney Weaver ... Rex Brooks

Summary: A fun action film, great for the Christmas evenings to come!