Vantage Point

I’m conflicted by this film. I really want to love it, but I just can’t. Pete Travis directs this mystery-thriller with a nod toward Kurosawa’s “Rashomon” and falls short of the mark when he reverts to a stereotypical Hollywood ending when anything but that was needed. I love it when writers and directors take creative chances and try something new with an old formula (which is why I loved Atonement, Crash and Traffic), but Travis doesn’t seem to trust himself with the ending. It’s either that, or the studio got in the way and wouldn’t allow a non-traditional ending. The more I think about this film the more I think this is true. I just can’t fathom a director making the first two-thirds of this film and then suddenly deciding to deviate from his narrative style so drastically in the final third. It’s either this or Travis got so lost editing that he forgot what kind of film he set out to make. So, did I hate it? Actually, no… for the first half. I really liked the idea of seeing this event unfold from several different points-of-view. While there were moans in the audience the third time the clock was reset (I heard an “oh, jesus” more than once) I had no problem with it. It was unique, original and kept me thinking where we were going next. The acting is strong, the cinematography and editing flawless and the narrative pacing fine. Where the film begins to fall apart is when we get to the third story and begin seeing too much of the same thing. I wanted the narrative to go much further with each “vantage point” and provide me with significant new information. Each one spends too much time recapping the mayor’s speech and not enough time moving the narrative forward. And then there is the end. It’s just absurd. Too impossible to believe and way too coincidental. It was forced, like somebody said, “ok, let’s end the film now” without regard to how the story had been developing. Some of the stunts were so unbelievable the audience was actually laughing. This is a film that started strong, had all the makings of a great movie, and then crashed and burned in the end. If you like the beginning, go out and rent Kurosawa’s “Rashomon” and see what this film could have been if made by a master director.

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Film Website: http://www.vantagepoint-movie.com/index.php