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No ad’Vantage’ with talented cast

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Also by Tony Lewis:

Despite original story, 'Be Kind Rewind' unwinds (February 28, 2008)
No ad'Vantage' with talented cast (February 25, 2008)
Only 'Maybe' see Reynolds movie (February 22, 2008)
U2 takes film to next dimension (February 22, 2008)
'Jumper' leaps, falls too short (February 18, 2008)

by Tony Lewis

Monday, February 25, 2008

The film “Vantage Point” is a lot like one’s struggle with TiVo. You fast-forward through the commercials of your favorite show trying to get to the point where the show starts again, but then the time comes and… nope, you miss it. So you rewind and try again. Eventually, after one or two attempts, this process does get you to where you need to be.

This new thriller from director Pete Travis successfully delivers all the rip-roaring action and gripping plot threads that are expected for this genre, but the finished product is flawed in the way it mimics the aforementioned process.

The story starts out with news director Rex Brooks (Sigourney Weaver, “The Village”) monitoring her channel’s coverage of U.S. president Ashton’s (William Hurt, “Into the Wild”) anti-terrorism speech in Spain. From numerous camera angles, she watches the president step up to the podium only to be shot seconds later. Before you know it, the film literally rewinds to noon, 30 minutes before the shooting.

Every time the film rewinds, the audience watches the 30 minutes before the shooting play out from a different “vantage point.” These vantage points range from secret service agents Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid, “Flight of the Phoenix”) and Kent Taylor (Matthew Fox, “We Are Marshall”) to innocent bystander Howard (Forest Whitaker, “The Great Debaters”).

Granted, these colorful viewpoints are all intriguing in the way they bring to light new information each time, but, as with TiVo, the whole rewinding business can get a little frustrating after the fourth or fifth time.

It is like writer Barry Levy wrote the screenplay but then after looking it over decided he did not like the beginning of the film, so he tried again with a new one. After this rewriting practice had resulted in five different openings to the film, Levy then proceeded to look over all he had done and thought to himself, “Hey, maybe I got something here.”

Even worse is the fact that even after these five attempts the film never quite gets to where it needs to be. Although the various storylines eventually do intertwine for an exhilarating climax, there are numerous questions left unanswered once the credits start rolling.

The most irritating of these questions is why; the motivation or reasoning for the shooters’ actions is never fully explained. The film contributes limited insight into why some of the characters acted the way they did, and the rest is left for the audience to speculate on their own.

We are also left questioning a plot that at times is far too unbelievable. For example, during their getaway the terrorists use bombs that kill hundreds of innocent people, yet they steer their van off the road in order to save the life of one little girl standing in the way? What kind of terrorists are these people?

While it helps to have talented actors attached to a film, it helps even more if these actors do more than just push the plot along. But then again, this is hard to do with a screenplay chock full of hollow dialogue.

This absence of dialogue is hardly missed, though, because its replacement is limitless amounts of heart-pounding action. The film is loaded with car chases through the chaotic streets of Spain, spine-tingling explosions and constant gunfire. Better yet this action is shot with quick, shifty camerawork that encompasses the film’s frantic atmosphere.

The film’s greatest triumph is in its ability to relate to the world we live in today. Levy does not use mythical beasts to create a thrilling experience but instead uses the monster of today’s society: terrorism. Because he plays on the fears that are so common in the general public, the film retains the shock value that is often lost in other films of this genre. The end result is a thriller that effectively keeps the audience captivated through the twists and turns of the plot.

There is no arguing the fact that “Vantage Point” is not the most conceivable film nor does it have a very direct plot structure. Nevertheless, this riveting thriller keeps its audience entertained with heaps of action and a stirring story that buries its roots deep into the panic of today’s civilization. Although these positives are not enough to overlook the film’s flaws, they are enough to make “Vantage Point” a time-worthy venture.

2 1/2 stars out of 5

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