The attempted assassination of the U.S. President is told from several viewpoints in Vantage Point.The Bourne franchise and the 24 TV series have revolutionised the political thriller genre. These movies have been given license to thrill, and live for the moment. The Bourne Ultimatum delivered non-stop action from all angles like it was being filmed on every available video recorder perspective including: surveillance, satellite, cellular phone and camcorders. The effect was mesmerising and captured the hyper-reality of the action with the all-seeing eye. The 24 series made every second count, with drama that absorbed its story minute for minute. These innovative concepts opened the door for Vantage Point, which uses the Rashomon narrative style.
Each stranger has a different perspective of the event as it happened. The audience is introduced to the spectacle as though it was being broadcast on TV, and we are slowly immersed into the heat of the situation. The characters are played by some of Hollywood’s finest with Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver and William Hurt on-board. Pete Travis is basically on par with Paul Greengrass, before he made The Bourne Supremacy. While Barry Levy is inexperienced in comparison with Tony Gilroy’s extensive list of writing credits. The two mask any shadow of doubt in their abilities with this intense political thriller, which should secure some lucrative writing/directing positions in the future.
Vantage Point iis high on concept and low on establishing any meaning or motive. The viewer is treated as a third party to the event, and one is never given the story from the terrorist’s perspective. The concept may annoy some audiences, as the editing rewinds the played events to the beginning to replay events from a different viewpoint. This may come across as repetitive, however the film-makers have filmed Vantage Point in such a way that each perspective adds another piece to the puzzle. It’s difficult not to engage with the story, given this technique and the perspectives eventually melt into a one action-packed car chase and thrilling conclusion.
The ensemble share the screen equally, with hints at their own histories. Each new viewpoint establishes character and propels the story, keeping the movie fresh and interesting. Vantage Point breaks the Hollywood mold in a similar fashion to Basic, although it comes across as slightly superficial. This can probably be attributed to a post-production decision to tone down some of the political content. Vantage Point isn’t in the same league as The Bourne Ultimatum, but surpasses The Siege, Air Force One and The Sum of All Fears in style and execution.
The bottom line: Striking.
