Vantage Point is one of those movies that you're either going to love or hate. If you're a fan of movies like "Crash", the "Bourne" series, or any other film with interlocking stories, odds are that you will enjoy Vantage Point. If you have a hard time stretching your mind, have a short attention span, or are totally not a fan of Dennis Quaid or Forest Whitaker, then you probably won't enjoy the film, plain and simple.

The plot, despite being very deep and complex, is actually quite simple on the surface. What you've got is the interlocking stories of several people, all of whom play a pivotal role in the assassination attempt on the President of the United States. The film is not without its political views, however, and this is to be expected. What I enjoyed about the complex plot is that it didn't TRY to be complex. It didn't rub itself in my face, and it was easy to keep track of who was who, and what they were doing.

The film features some high profile names, however, we need to remember that most of said actors have never done this kind of movie. Only one of the performers actually manages to develop a good character (and of course, it's the best performer, Forest Whitaker), but half of this problem is due to the screenplay, which is obviously going to be more plot and story driven. It's a paradox, because the filmmakers definitely want the viewer to like Dennis Quaid's character the most, yet there's little effort in developing him outside of his professional life. Forest Whitaker, as said earlier, gives the best performance of the movie, and one of the better supporting performances of the year. I really enjoyed him here. Edgar Ramirez was also very admirable, as was Said Taghmaoui. Matthew Fox and Sigourney Weaver both have very little screen time, but aren't bad at all. Fox's character is another that had a lot of potential, but the screenplay lets him down.

Pete Travis is the film's director, and I've got to say...the guy knows how to copy other directors. It felt like an episode of "24", with bits of the "Bourne" movies thrown in, along with the feel of "In the Line of Fire". I'm still reserved about him as a director because I saw nothing new from this movie. While the plot twists were good (again, that's the screenplay, not him), and the action was very well done, I couldn't help and think that I had seen it all before in other films. HOWEVER! Despite my complaints, the film is wonderfully edited (Oscar worthy) and has top notch cinematography. It sounds great as well.

In short, Vantage Point has all the trademarks of a well made film. Some good people put a lot of dedication into making this movie as seamless as it is. The screenplay is lacking in the character development area, but more than makes up for it in the story. I definitely look forward to more from this wonderful crew.