Vantage Point

An attempted assassination of the U.S. president (played by William Hurt) is seen from various angles, or “vantage points.” It’s an interesting idea pulled off decently by director Pete Travis, who benefits from a good cast. Dennis Quaid plays a frazzled Secret Service agent just a few months removed from getting shot in the line of duty. Matthew Fox of Lost fame plays his buddy and a former agent who’s responsible for getting Quaid back on the job. Forest Whitaker is good as an American tourist who is filming everything on tape, while Sigourney Weaver is slightly irritating as a TV-news director. Not everything in the film works, but the intriguing concept is coupled with sharp action. The politics get very heavy-handed, but that doesn’t take away from the cool car chases and the solid performance by Quaid.