Vantage Point

Vantage Point was a film using very interesting concepts. I went into this film interested, but did not know too much about the film - I've been so busy at work the last few weeks that I just haven't had a lot of time to read up on what's coming out in the theaters - I get a few hours to watch my TV shows and try to catch up on the movies I own - but that doesn't leave a lot of time.

I figured that the film had a good cast - and sometimes that's enough. The script still has a number of clichés, but to be honest after years of rediculous 24 plotlines - are people really that jaded about "plot twists" or over the top action/violence in action films? I don't mean "This is a Michael Bay film so all reasonable semblance of story development is thrown out the window" kind of movie - but one that stretches the believability with the number of events that get thrown into such a short period of time.

The "gimmick" of the movie is that the same events of an attack on the President of the United States is shown over and over again from different points of views - giving the viewer another additional piece of the puzzle each time.

The one thing that I thought they could have done better was the "rewinds" that take the viewer back to 11:59:57am multiple times - a cut to black would have been far more effective in my opinion - at least it would have kept so many of the viewer from snickering and talking like the film somehow took a pause that allowed people to stop and discuss. It would be nice if people had an attention span, but alas.

Once the final act started up - I don't think there were any complaints. It made all the previous frustrations that the audience have with the pacing of the film just go away.

The be perfectly honest this would probably have worked better as a miniseries - with more back story to each of the story lines, but as a 90 minute film, it's fine. Nothing spectacular - but compared to the schlock action films that get released these days - it was a nice change of pace.

*** 1/2 / *****