IR Flick Pick: The Vantage Point

Telling the story of an attempted assassination of a president from eight different perspectives is an intriguing way to keep an audience interested, and that's exactly what the new political thriller Vantage Point does.

Thomas Barnes, played by Dennis McQuaid, is a Secret Service agent recovering from taking a bullet for POTUS.  His first day back on the job was one that set him in the midst of a series of events that would make his presence key to breaking open a terrorist plot to end his boss' life yet once again.

Vantage Point's action was fast and furious, the plot was puzzling and interesting, and Forest Whitaker, Matthew Fox and Dennis McQuaid perfectly played their parts.

A sidebar discussion to note:  During the protest scenes, several small handheld signs with the international "no" symbol over a large "W" were visible.  It's not clear whether that was a subliminal anti-Bush message, or simply carelessness on behalf of the prop department. 

One notable quote towards the end of the movie which may give us insight to the movie's point is "This war [on terror] will never end . . ." and the scheme's resolution was ultimately tied to saving one innocent little girl's life.

From our vantage point, even though the theatre was practically empty on opening weekend, Vantage Point gets a thumbs up for breaking up a long, torturous cold winter. In a few weeks, it'll be long gone and just another blip on movie goers' minds.  In the meantime, escape the winter doldrums and go see Vantage Point.