Vantage Point

Vantage Point is a 2008 thriller film from Columbia Pictures, written by Barry Levy and directed by Pete Travis. It stars Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker with Sigourney Weaver, Édgar Ramírez and William Hurt. It was released on February 22, 2008. The film is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for sequences of intense violence and action, some disturbing images, and brief strong language.

The film is set in Salamanca, Spain, but it was mostly filmed in Mexico; only some of the scenes were shot in Salamanca. The United States President Henry Ashton (William Hurt) is holding an anti-terrorism summit in Salamanca. Over a twenty-three-minute period, an assassination attempt on the President unfolds. The film loops through this period over and over, each time from the perspective of a different participant, adding a new piece to the larger puzzle with each loop.

The first perspective is that of television news producer Rex Brooks (Sigourney Weaver) who directs various "GNN" cameramen and news anchors as the President arrives. Just as the mayor of Salamanca finishes his speech and the President steps up to the podium, he is shot twice. An explosion in the distance soon follows, and a few minutes later the podium is destroyed by another explosion, killing GNN's news reporter; she is filmed lying dead.

The final perspective is that of the terrorists orchestrating the attack. The assassination attempt on the double is revealed to be an elaborate ruse, done by remote control via an automated rifle. The rifle had been placed by Secret Service agent Taylor, who had been spotted on the live feed by Barnes as he was leaving the scene in a Spanish policeman's uniform, clearly lying to Barnes who he was talking to on his cellphone. Meanwhile, Javier (Edgar Ramirez), the assassin who has made his way into President Ashton's room (and who is working for the terrorists only because his brother is being held hostage), leads Ashton to the elevator, where Ashton is knocked unconscious and quietly loaded onto an ambulance. Javier joins Taylor, with both followed by Barnes.