Telling a conventional story with different perspectives is not something new. But it is different and it is rare. So this very fact makes one curious to check out what the movie is all about. The Vantage Point narrative is about the attempted assassination of the president of US, and the same attempt is shown from five different perspectives.
Vantage point takes place in Spain, where a major world summit is taking place, pertaining to global issue of terrorism, where the President of the US [William Hurt] is about to address the people. But s soon as he steps on the podium ‘wam-bam’, two gunshots and the president is down. Followed by the gunshots there is panic all around and then a bomb blast. The same incidence is replayed again and again from the perspective of a secret service agent [Denis Quaid], a tourist [Forest Whitaker], a supposed terrorist, a couple of people and the President himself. All are sewn together, leading to a mutual climax.
The concept of the movie is good and undoubtedly it has been executed brilliantly. Showing the incidence from all the possible angles is something which the audience crave for. Showing the incidence first on a news channel [GNN aka CNN] is what the general public get in their homes. Then showing it again from the vantage point of people who witnessed it, people who were involved in it and people who were up against it, is a laudable effort.
The movie is point to point and nothing seems to be overboard, except rewinding the whole incidence again and again and the clock showing 11:59:57. Frankly speaking the whole process of rewinding became too monotonous and when it happens for the third time the irritation starts building up. But with a run time of just around 90 minutes the movie ends before it becomes boring.
The cast is good and everyone’s performance is above par, except Whitaker. He has been completely wasted and one wonders as to what is the use of his character? There is hardly anything he has to do and for this you can not blame him.
With all the emphasis on replaying the incidence again and again, the build up on a few characters has been ignored. Like one searches for the reason behind the actions of Kent Taylor [Mathew Fox], this has been completely forgotten. The same goes for the climax. The way in which the movie finishes seems to be a meagre coincidence. Leaving the whole climax on the shoulders of coincidence doesn’t goes down very well, but then again the movie is about different vantage points and it is fine at that part.
Hey, you are right the director has done a good job presenting a same incidence from different perspectives.
I watched the movie today and felt couple of things were left unanswered.
Firstly, what was the motive behind the assassination and kidnapping of Mr. President, i know some senior FBI or some else sectret services people were saying that it was some terrorist group which was being harboured in Morroco and that guy was way too eager to attack Morroco and hence the total blame was on them and the Mujaheed devloping in Morroco but too me it was not clear till very end that what was the motive, moreover there aim was not to KILL rather than KIDNAP and the supposed to be terrorist guyz were not Africans in any manner and if i am right Morroco is in Africa.
Still a OK movie, and since its short it doesnt annoy you.
One more thing i was expecting a suspence high paced thriller but i am sorry to say it was more of a ByChance MOVIE