Vantage Point review

Vantage Point is a case where the idea is really great but the movie just doesn't deliver. The story takes place in Spain where the President is giving a speech and is shot. Everything is in chaos and then a couple of bombs go off. But who did it and how? Well, we find that out through the vantage points of various characters that were at the scene. The premise is very original and I give the film points for that. However, the acting is cheesy and some of the scenarios are just plain silly. Forest Whitaker is especially corny as the tourist with a camera. A lot of the situations that occur are hard to believe and just dumb. The movie tries to involve some pointless love story to a character which just doesn't work. So, the movie keeps "rewinding" itself, bringing us back to the beginning of the assassination about five times. At first intriguing, by the third time it just gets tiresome. It's too much of a good thing. On a positive note, it's pretty suspenseful and makes you look for tiny details as you try to figure out what the hell is going on. While overall a pretty exciting and original ride, Vantage Point doesn't live up to what it could have been.