Vantage Point (2008)

Vantage Point is a snappy, crisp and true to the genre action film with refreshing direction and gripping plot. Oh and the massive over-tones of Captain America punching Ay-rab Abdul in the face once more, but this time en Espagne! Imagine, if you will, "Patriot Games 2: Costa Del Sol Editon"

So, this was the first big screen adventure to be made off the back of Lost. Matthew Fox (Lost....uh extra in Smokin' Aces and nothing else) plays a secret service agent and body guard to the visiting president. Dennis "fucking" Quaid (G.I. Joe, Any Given Sunday) is Fox's partner who has just come back to service who proceeded to shit his iron-clad American balls out after taking a bullet for El Presidenté a year previous and is a tad shaky on the job. Forest Whitaker (Platoon, Last King Of Scotland) is Howard Lewis a tourist with a camcorder. Sigourney Weaver (Alien...need i say more just worship her) plays the aptly named "GNN" editor who witnesses the assassination from within the film crew's truck, through several cameramen. The other four perspective points are too convoluted to give an overview of without having to write more lines containing multiple *SPOILER WARNINGS* than Judas' mum made him after "that incident at dinner."

The President is shot from a window within the plaza. The same 20 minute or so sequence is shown from 4 different perspectives, adding a new layer of story each time. This effect is new to me, or at least the way it has been executed is, and i think its brilliant. I found myself guessing every few minutes at this and that, it entertained me which is rare with many films these days, being the cynic I am "hype" usually leads to disappointment.

There are several explosions, an epic car chase scene, gun fights and punch ups and all of it is really well done, visually and choreographically. The main plot as well as the good sprinkling of twists are all CLEVER AND ORIGINAL, remember those words, Hollywood, do you? You stinking bag of mediocrity, pumping out carbon copy Ferrel movies like so many alien eggs from the arse of Queen Grouchy McBitch-Pants herself. And to have come from a writer (Barry Levy) and director (Pete Travis) both more obscure than the following reference I shall now make:
"Shal kek nem ron" See? Told you it was obscure. But yes, nice to see new faces with talent instead of Michael Bay blowing shit up or M. Night Shyamalan telling everyone to fear everything....oh and making a film with the word BENDER in the title.

This review, being the first in a good 4 weeks, is short and, I'm sorry, dear readers, but that is because i can't really fault this film. It is by no means a perfect film, but it doesn't over extend itself (see: Setanta business policy) or try and be a film within a film or anything else equally as stupid. It IS the solid floury plot, with 2 well beaten action eggs and a good helping of high caliber milky actors to make the tastiest pancake in the shape of Matthew Fox's grizzled face. I'd eat that pancake, and you should too.