The Vantage Point of Car Chases

Last night we saw the movie Vantage Point. I'll give it points for being inventive. But it's a little like Ground Hog Day in that I grew really tired of it starting over and over and over and over and over.

The plot is this: Our president is in a plaza in Spain half filled with protesters and half filled with an adoring crowd. All at once shots ring out. The president is hit. Then a bomb goes off. Then all h#@* breaks loose.

First we see this from the TV director's van parked just outside the plaza, then we see the same 23 minutes from the view of the damaged secret service agent played by the yummy Dennis Quaid who is looking his age (and I like that.)

Then we see it from several other views including that of an American tourist played by the great but (even though he's won an Academy Award) unappreciated actor Forest Whitaker.

In fact, he's the only one to bring any humanity into this movie. Otherwise it's mostly a manic, jumble of special effects.

I've read a couple of reviews saying that it's hard to follow. Despite all of the above, it's not hard to follow. It's hard to believe.

The car chase rivals the one in the Bourne Ultimatum. Very long and very complicated. Like Jason Bourne, Dennis Quaid gets killed many time. So if you like car chases it's worth sitting through this movie just to see it. I don't like car chases so I was bored for 20 minutes.

Funniest line: The president, played by William Hurt while watching his double on TV played played by William Hurt says, "He doesn't even look like me.!"



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