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Vantage Point [2008]


RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £7.86 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk review

Vantage Point, which aspires to be a cunningly twisted thriller, comes equipped with plenty of hurtling action, handheld camerawork, what-was-that? editing, and a plot that has multiple, contradictory agendas writhing like a nest of snakes. It's all set within a few blocks of a town square in Spain where a U.S. President is targeted for assassination. Although the movie lasts 90 minutes, the events it depicts are mostly over within fifteen minutes or so--but seen, rewound, and reseen from half a dozen different (you guessed it) vantage points. The first line in the credits reads "Original Film," apparently the name of the production company. "Gimmick Movie" might be more accurate. The opening reel, effectively jolting, affords an initial overview of the events through the eyes, lenses, monitors, and duelling sensibilities of a TV news producer (Sigourney Weaver), her activist-minded reporter (Zoe Saldana) and crew. Everybody’s in Salamanca for the start of an international conference to reaffirm Arab-Western commitment to the fight against terrorism. Terrorism, of course, sees this as an ideal moment to break out. As gunshots and explosions reduce everything to chaos, the clock is reset to zero and we proceed to revisit the scene as experienced by several Secret Service agents (namely Dennis Quaid and Matthew Fox), an American tourist with camcorder (Forest Whitaker), sundry locals--including three who may be caught up in a love triangle or a conspiracy or both--and even the President himself (William Hurt).

For a while, this is mildly diverting: that guy, or that gesture, so sinister when glimpsed across the plaza in one run-through, now appears harmless in closeup--or vice versa. But there's no real ambiguity (so stop with the careless comparisons to Kurosawa's Rashomon)--this is a shell game in which the peas aren't worth tracking. Despite decent actors, the characters might as well be holograms (although poor Forest Whitaker is saddled with "motivation" of surpassing sappiness), and the casting telegraphs several twists: one redoubtable good guy practically gives a wink-wink, nudge-nudge that he's really bad, etc. The movie declines to specify which nutjob philosophy the terrorists espouse, and their numbers are multi-ethnic. There's also a laborious suggestion that they have bloodthirsty, reactionary counterparts among the President's inner circle, which perhaps qualifies as redeeming socio-political comment and prompts a meaningless declaration of deep meaning from the Prez. The whole megilleh finally comes down to an extended car chase through impassably claustrophobic streets that would mark a lurch into unintentional self-parody--if only that point hadn't been passed a couple of rewinds earlier. --Richard T. Jameson



Exciting but Obvious
Review date: 2008-10-08 Rating: 6 out of 10

President Ashton(William Hurt)is assassinated at a political summit in Salamanca,Spain.Seasoned Secret Service Agent Thomas Barnes(Dennis Quaid) and his collegues are in a race against time to uncover the perpetrators whose very careful plans include a bribed special forces operative,a compromised bodyguard and several explosive devices.
Rashomon like thriller(the same event from several perspectives)is fast paced,well acted(even if Quaid is starting to look like he is permanently constipated)and pretty exciting.The twists,save one, are all extremely obvious.The "mole" is so obvious that it serves only to reduce the tension rather than ramp it up.
Still a bravura finsh,worthy of the bourne series and a resourceful POTUS makes Vantage Point alot of fun.

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Reviews


Tugging at the Heartstrings
Review date: 2008-09-30 Rating: 6 out of 10

The big problem I have with this film is that by the end, I didn't really give two hoots about the President and whether he lives or dies. But I was really concerned about what was going to happen to the little girl.

Brilliant
Review date: 2008-09-18 Rating: 10 out of 10

I personally loved this film i think it one of the best this year. This film has a very thought provoking story line. it will also have u thinking so much about whats going on it puts you right into the film. At the end of the film you will find yourself rushed with emotion and sat right on the very edge of your seat. Your DVD or now even Blu-ray collection is not complete without this film.

Just when you think you've got it all figued out.....you don't.
Review date: 2008-09-08 Rating: 10 out of 10

The premise of Vantage Point revolves around the assassination of the US president while attending a counter-terrorism summit in Spain. The story is told from eight viewpoints. I have to admit that I was skeptical at how this movie could hold my attention by switching back over and over again and basically retelling a story we'd already been told but it quickly became obvious that the story we'd been told was just a snippet at what was really going on. I quickly got drawn into the whole groundhog-experience fairly quickly and by the time we were at the fourth vantage point I was fascinated by how all the stories related with each other and how the story would end up.

Vantage Point promises a good puzzle, suspense and intense action. It delivers on all accounts. This plot has twists and turns and half way through you think you've got it all figured out....trust me....you haven't got a clue.
Seeing all the plot threads converge in such a convincing matter was nice, as was the final action scene, which seems like it was plucked right out of one of the Bourne films. Add some great acting from Dennis Quaid and Forrest Whittaker and you've got yourself a really good action thriller. As skeptical as I was when I started watching Vantage Point I ended up more than a little impressed as it proved itself to be a convincing, engrossing action thriller.


good film
Review date: 2008-09-06 Rating: 10 out of 10

i watched this dvd yesterday and i have to say i was on the edge of my seat through out, its a very good thriller concerning the assasination of the us president in a european country , told from different angles it kept me interested for the 2+ hours all the carecters are good and the scenario was very belivable . watch it you will enjoy it .

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Dennis Quaid
Zoe Saldana
Sigourney Weaver
Forest Whitaker
William Hurt

Creators:
Dennis Quaid (Primary Contributor)
William Hurt (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
EAN: 5035822661936
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2008-08-04
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 86 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2008

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