What Do The Critics Say?

"I was quite literally on the edge of my seat for all of its lightning fast ninety minutes. It's not just merely good; it's nothing less than one of the best pictures of the year. By the time the film was over way, I was exhausted. Scary and realistic, this was a movie that really got to me. It literally gave me goose bumps." Steve Rhodes INTERNET REVIEWS "The stories are cleverly interwoven, with a couple of unexpected twists, and the patient viewer is rewarded with a doozy of a car chase in the last reel." Paul Arendt BBC "Enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes. A fast, fun, breezy piece of entertainment." Gina Carbone SEACOAST NEWSPAPERS "It doesn't have much more going for it than the rewind gimmick, a very talented cast of actors, and some pretty good action sequences. "Vantage Point" is a political thriller put together like a jigsaw puzzle. time a new chapter in the story is told, the viewer gets closer to the truth what is really happening." Robert Roten LARAMIE MOVIESCOPE "Sometimes all you’re looking for at the movie theater is a ripping good yarn, which is precisely what "Vantage Point" delivers. Pay attention, but don’t worry if you miss a detail or two because 'Point' will show you the assassination and ensuing bomb blasts from eight different perspectives. This thriller peppers its real-time terror plot with contemporary political commentary, but not enough to distract from its main goal of simply, entertaining." Sean O'Connell THE CHARLOTTE WEEKLY

"Barry L. Levy is to be congratulated for this, his first produced screenplay. Pete Travis's quick-cut direction (Omagh) helps to maintain the sometimes chaotic pace of the film. The movie benefits greatly from its array of familiar Hollywood stars, and its less known, but charismatic young American and international actorsVantage Point is a smart film with a complex plot and lots of action. That's not a typical combination. It's an intriguing film for those of us who enjoy the combination of the intellectual exercise of puzzles and the visceral sensations of action-thriller movies." Emily S Mendel CULTUREVULTURE "Genuine crowd-pleaser overall, brisk and suspenseful, more or less everything it promises to be." Russ Breimeier CHRISTIANITY TODAY "The filmmakers hook us and reel us in during 90 breathless minutes." Carrie Rickey PHILADELPHIA ENQUIRER "The exhilarating car chase that closes the movie is alone worth the price of admission." David Nusair REEL FILM REVIEWS "Ignore all of the critics who are lining up to tell you how awful "Vantage Point" is. I'm here to tell you that Vantage Point is an absolutely terrific thriller, which is as intelligent as it is high action. An extremely intense movie, it features some great foot and car chases, but it's the quality of the script and the acting that keeps you glued to your seat. The terrific cast, including even the most minor characters, is used to maximum effect by director Pete Travis." Steve Rhodes INTERNET REVIEWS

The Inside Story The President of the United States is in Spain to deliver a major address on terrorism. As he approaches the podium in a crowded square, two shots ring out. The president crumples on the stage. Then pandemonium breaks loose. Spectators who have witnessed the event are further panicked by an explosion outside the square. As they struggle to make their way to safety, a massive bomb goes off ripping into the crowd. This is the setting for Columbia Pictures new film "Vantage Point, an action-thriller that, for director Pete Travis, was a chance to explore the idea of 'the truth' and the fact that truth is in the eye of the beholder. As "Vantage Point" unfolds, the film explores (in "Groundhog Day" style) the period immediately before and after the assassination attempt from the unique points of view of eight key participants, ranging from the president himself to the Secret Service agents assigned to protect him to a tourist in the square only by chance. "If you were to follow only one story, you wouldn’t find out the truth about what really happened," says Travis. "As you see each story, you see something else that you never knew before. It’s only when you get to the end that you figure out what really went on." For 2003 Independent Spirit Award winner Dennis Quaid ("Far From Heaven"), who stars as Secret Agent Thomas Barnes, the film was a chance to subtly shade a performance based on point of view. "There’s the way we see ourselves, and there’s the way others see us," he explained. "I play my character one way when the story is told from my point of view, but when the film’s vantage point shifts to another character’s point of view, I play him as that character sees him; and change again for the other characters. A person isn’t seen the same way by any two people." "Everyone knows only what they can see before their eyes, what they can figure out, which limits everyone’s understanding of what’s going on," debut screenwriter Barry L Levy notes. "Only when the audience sees the collective, all eight stories, all eight pieces of the puzzle, will they understand what really went on. Ultimately, the movie is a single story, a hero’s journey, but told from eight points of view." To bring Levy’s idea to the screen, producer Neal H Moritz ("I Am Legend") brought to the project Peter Travis, who made his directorial debut with 2004's "Omagh", which focused on a 1998 bombing in Northern Ireland. "The way Pete captured reality, the characters, the sound, was entirely original," says Moritz who founded production company Original Films. "Pete’s fresh approach to the material made it clear to me that "Vantage Point" would be in good hands." Both Travis and Levy were keenly aware that the film they were making, by its nature, required seeing the same actions over and over again, from different points of view. This is accomplished in "Groundhog Day" style. As each story is told, the screen darkens and a clock counts down the last seconds to twelve noon. Audiences are then given another aspect of the story that pieces together the 'whole' story. "We had to keep it fresh," Travis said. "When you see something more than once, we tried to make sure that you were seeing something different." Moritz says that the filmmakers called upon every tool available to differentiate the stories. "Whether it was through the use of different lenses, or different film stock, or lighting, or different ways of shooting, such as handheld cameras, Steadicam, dollies, we used different tricks to try to make each of these stories feel individual, to keep the audience interested in the twists and turns and invested in each character’s story." That interest was hyped up further in the editing of the film. "When we came to cutting the film, we made sure that every story ended with a cliffhanger. Only at the end do all the stories get wrapped up and you figure out what went on," Travis explained. "It’s a puzzle, this film, and if you take one piece out, you can’t see the whole picture," Quaid says. Quaid says that he was attracted to the film by the chance to work with the director. "I had seen Pete’s previous movie, "Omagh", which is about an IRA terrorist bombing in Ireland. I like his realistic style of filmmaking; there’s a lot of action. His movies are gripping; you know you’re watching actors, but they have the immediacy of a documentary." 2005 Golden Satellite Award winner Matthew Fox ("Lost") says that the twists and turns of his character were immediately appealing. "I’m fascinated with the concept of perspective," he says. "It’s a great opportunity to play a guy who you think is one way but turns out to be someone completely different." 2007 Academy Award ® winning Best Acto Forest Whitaker ("The Last King of Scotland") adds, "When I met Pete, he told me his background; he was a social worker before he made movies! Talk about a different perspective! In that first meeting, I wanted to do this movie, and fortunately, it worked out." "I didn’t realize while reading this script how much action there is in this movie, but we’ve got gun shots, bombs going off, terrific car chases," Quaid said, "all exciting stuff and fun to do. For me, it was like being a kid again to do all the action." Travis notes, "What’s exciting about the action is that it shows you something in a way that you didn’t see it before. It becomes part of the point of views. There’s a visceral, handheld kinetic energy of the camera; the idea is to make it a participant in the action. When people run, the camera runs with them; when people go into a room, the camera goes in behind them. During the car chase, when the car is hit and the camera is spinning around inside the car, that’s our fabulous stunt coordinator, Spiro Razatos, holding the camera and getting hit." Travis speaks highly of the film's star Quaid. "Dennis Quaid has always been the all-American hero, ever since "The Right Stuff" and "The Big Easy". That’s what I’ve always loved about him; he’s quintessentially American, an old-fashioned movie star, a proper man’s man. He’s tough, yet vulnerable. That’s what this part needed, a man who was torn inside. Everybody treats him as a hero, but the last thing he wants to be is a hero; he’s just doing his job. Dennis brought a real sensitivity to that part." And Fox? "There’s a wonderful authenticity to Matthew that I really like; he has a wonderful energy about him and the ability to surprise you." Fox was glad he'd been given the chance to work especially closely with Quaid. "Dennis’s character is more than just a mentor to mine; he’s like a brother. It’s an intense bond that they have. Dennis is a great actor, and to be able to explore the relationship between these two guys with him was a real thrill." 1988 Cannes Film Festival Best Actor winner ("Bird") and 2006 Hollywood Film Festival Actor of the Year, Forest Whitaker enjoyed his chance to play Howard Lewis in the action packed movie. "Howard does a lot of running," he laughed. "During filming, not only would I run, but I’d run for blocks and blocks. We’d just keep going. It seemed like for two months, all I did was run. Everyone was making a lot of jokes about it." 1986 Academy Award ® winning Best Actor ("Kiss of the Spider Woman") William Hurt, prepared for the role of playing the president of the United States by interviewing a man who knew about the job firsthand: President Clinton. "I know his time is valuable and didn’t want to waste his time, so I was very direct," Hurt recalls. President Clinton was extremely refreshing and honest. I asked him what it is like to have the knowledge that you represent something that a lot of people want dead." Clinton's answer was simple: "If you weren’t ready for that before you tried to get the job, then you shouldn’t even take the next step." When it came to accepting the scope of responsibility that comes with the Presidency, Clinton replied, "Well, it’s easier if you live over the store." In the film, Hurt's character President Ashton is shot twice and falls on the stage. Director Peter Travis revealed the real story of what Hurt went through during filming. "William Hurt showed up in Mexico, and for his first six weeks, he walked into a plaza, raised his arms, got shot, and fell backwards. That was it, over and over again, for six weeks. And he never complained once, because he knew that when we got to his story, he would be the star." Sigourney Weaver, whose salary for 1997's "Alien: Resurrection" (US$11,000,000) was more than the entire cost of the original "Alien" movie in 1979 (for which she was paid US$30,000), plays TV news producer Rex Brooks. The 1989 Golden Globe winner ("Gorillas in the Mist") says her character "is definitely a news junkie. Rex is a driven and inspired news visionary." "Vantage Point" is also distinguished by performances from several acclaimed international stars. "Eduardo Noriega is a huge star in Spain and I’m sure he’ll become a star in America. Ayelet Zurer; when I saw her in Munich, I found her to be wonderfully charismatic. Saïd Taghmaoui is a huge star in France. Edgar Ramirez looks great with a gun," notes Travis. For trivia buff's, the square seen in the film is Plaza Mayor,in the town of Salamanca, a short distance from Madrid, Spain. So how does the director sum up what the film is about? "You’ve got eight different people, eight ways of seeing the world, eight pieces of a puzzle. It’s a dream for a director: you can’t solve the mystery of this film without seeing the world from different people’s point of view. It’s a story that you can only tell through cinema. A movie about ways of seeing", says Travis. "How cool is that!" Pretty damn cool, I'd say. Synopsis

Eight strangers with eight different points of view try to unlock the one truth behind an assassination attempt on the president of the United States. Thomas Barnes and Kent Taylor are two Secret Service agents assigned to protect President Ashton at a landmark summit on the global war on terror in Spain. President Ashton is shot moments after his arrival at the summit welcoming ceremony. Then a bomb explodes. In the chaos that ensues, disparate lives collide in the hunt for the assassin. In the crowd is Howard Lewis, an American tourist who thinks he’s captured the shooter on his camcorder while videotaping the event for his kids back home. Relaying the historic event to millions of TV viewers across the globe, is American TV news producer Rex Brooks. As they and others tell their stories, the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place revealling the shocking truth and motivation for the attack.

The Verdict "Tick, tock. Watch the clock! Like "Groundhog Day" this exciting, action packed thriller is done in rewind style, with a twist. Each time a segment finishes, the screen darkens, a clock counts down to 12:00 noon and the audience is given another insight into what has happened, through a different perspective. It all serves to keep the adrenalin pumping. And pump it does, especially during one of the best car chases you've seen in a long while. "Vantage Point" takes the audience inside the intrigue and deception behind the attack on President Ashton. It's one heck of a story, designed to give audiences the feeling that they are there in the flesh. Very recommended. Highly entertaining. Never a boring moment! 4 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "VANTAGE POINT" stars .......
William Hurt ["A History of Violence", "The Good Shepherd" and "Mr Brooks"]; Sigourney Weaver ["Holes", "The Village" and "Snow Cake"]; Forest Whitaker ["The Fourth Angel", "Panic Room", "Phone Booth" and "The Last King of Scotland"]; Bruce McGill ["Collateral", "Cinderella Man" and "The Lookout"]; Matthew Fox ["My Boyfriend's Back", "Smokin' Aces" and "We Are Marshall"]; Edgar Ramirez ["Yotama se va volando", "Domino" and "The Bourne Ultimatum"] and Dennis Quaid ["The Day After Tomorrow", "Flight Of The Phoenix" and "Yours, Mine and Ours"] as Secret Agent Thomas Barnes.
"VANTAGE POINT" was .......
directed by Pete Travis [TV'S "Henry VIII" and "Omagh"]; screenplay by Barry L Levy ["Vantage Point"]; art direction by Marcelo Del Rio ["Dame tu cuerpo", "Deadly Swarm" and "The Matador"]; set decoration by Denise Camargo ["Bandidas", "Curandero" and "The Mask of Zorro"]; costume design by Luca Mosca ["The Next Big Thing", "Griffin & Phoenix" and "Step Up 2 the Streets"]; production design by Brigitte Broch ["Love in the Time of Hysteria", "21 Grams" and "Babel"]; director of photography Amir Mokri ["The Joy Luck Club", "The Salton Sea", "Lord of War" and "National Treasure: Book of Secrets"]; original music by Atli Örvarsson ["Dead Above Ground", "Fear Within" and "The Wager"]. Who's Who?

José Carlos Rodríguez William Hurt Sigourney Weaver Zoe Saldana Dennis Quaid Matthew Fox Forest Whitaker Bruce McGill Edgar Ramirez Saïd Taghmaoui Ayelet Zurer James LeGros Eduardo Noriega Richard T Jones Holt McCallany Leonardo Nam Dolores Heredia Alicia Jaziz Zapien Justin Sundquist Sean O'Bryan Rodrigo Cachero Guillermo Iván Xavier Massimi Shelby Fenner Ari Brickman Brian McGovern Lisa Owen Rocío Verdejo

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Mayor De Soto President Ashton Rex Brooks Angie Jones Thomas Barnes Kent Taylor Howard Lewis Phil McCullough Javier Suarez Veronica Ted Heinkin Enrique Holden Ron Matthews Kevin Cross Marie Anna Parsons Cavic Luis Felipe Miguel Grace Riggs Secret Service Agent Mark Reinhart American Woman Paulina

Run Time 90 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - Sony Pictures - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.