"Vantage Point" Offers No New Perspective

Starring Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, and Forest Whitaker, "Vantage Point" falls a bit short of my expectations for this action drama, which initially seemed to present a creative concept. Instead, it makes me feel a little less confidant in the Secret Service men of our nation.


Quaid and Fox are two Secret Service agents assigned to protect the U.S. president (William Hurt) in Spain at an important international summit focused on the war on terror. Ironically, the president is shot, and the plot unfolds the different perspectives of both those involved, and simple bystanders, to weave a story that has the audience guessing how everything is connected.


It is a bit reminiscent of "Groundhog's Day" or "Memento" in that it relies on a series of flashbacks once the primary scene is established at the beginning. The audience connects with Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid), as he tries to identify the shooter.

Some character interactions seem a bit far-fetched and odd when you first see it, but eventually things tie back in together. Later, they seem a dead giveaway to the film's predictability. Although there is clearly a good vs. evil force at work here, some cases of outlandish public violence by the Secret Service (i.e. shooting at an escapee while in a crowded marketplace) make you question if this is really how such operations go down. In many instances, the Secret Service are inept at the very thing they are supposedly trained to do: guard and protect.


The car chase scenes, coupled with the explosions and gunfire (which is repeated over and over every 20 minutes or so when it switches to a different 'vantage point'), make this an exciting -- albeit somewhat exhausting -- film to watch. I would recommend renting this if you feel like watching an action movie with a bit of suspense. It's far from groundbreaking, but is decent if you're looking for a fairly short film that doesn't involve too much thinking.

"The Dark Knight" Brightens the Superhero Film Genre

I think I may just be one of the last people to have seen "The Dark Knight." I'm not one to always go out on opening weekend, just because I usually like avoiding the crowds. I felt it was still appropriate to document my thoughts of the film here, though. After all, it has surpassed opening records, and is steadily on track for becoming the No. 1 movie of all time.

"Titanic" currently holds the record, which many say may be unbeatable despite potential monetary numbers rising above it, simply because of inflated movie ticket prices over the years. It will therefore be hard to judge the success of a movie merely by the box office totals. Total ticket numbers would be a more accurate gauge. As of Aug. 8, "The Dark Knight" stands at $423 million.

Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and Aaron Eckhart are the leads in this superhero action film. The movie is aptly titled "The Dark Knight" because it reveals many sinister aspects of human (or perhaps non-human) behavior. There is a distinct plot, strong character development despite the fact that this is a sequel (I myself had forgotten much of "Batman Begins"), and never a boring moment.

The Joker, played of course by Heath Ledger, is very believable as a mysterious force that we can't help but feel compelled to watch with interest. Ledger himself certainly added a lot to this character, incorporating arm movements, mannerisms and this signature lick of the lips. If there hadn't been so much talk about Ledger playing this role, I certainly wouldn't have known it was him. He became so totally embodied in the persona that is the Joker, that it definitely marks his best performance to date. The fact that he never takes his makeup off while on-screen certainly adds to the air of believability.

"The Dark Knight" is more than just your typical superhero action film, of which I'm typically not a fan (i.e. "Spiderman," "The Incredible Hulk," "Fantastic Four," Daredevil"). The fact that this film appeals to such a wide age range is great. Many notoriously harsh film critics even felt satisfied with "The Dark Knight." I would definitely agree. It's a must-see, and a movie that you should try to see in the theatres while you still have the chance. This is the type of blockbuster that makes history and is best viewed on the large screen with surround sound.

Morgan Freeman in Accident

Actor Morgan Freeman was recently involved in a car accident near his home in Mississippi. The car "flipped end-over-end before landing upright in a ditch," writes a reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune in an Aug. 5 article.

Freeman had a broken arm, elbow and shoulder damage, according to newspaper reports, but now is recovering after surgery. Apparently Freeman has no idea what caused him to veer off the highway, and thinks he may have fallen asleep. There is no indication that drugs or alcohol were involved.

Aside from this bit of news, I think Morgan Freeman is a great actor. I feel his most notable movies (of those I've seen) include: March of the Penguins, Million Dollar Baby, Se7en, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Shawshank Redemption, Unforgiven, Lean on Me, and Driving Miss Daisy. He has, of course, most recently been in The Dark Knight, as well.

Thankfully he seems to be OK from this accident, and hopefully we'll see more great acting from him still yet to come.

Music in Movies: John Williams

I'm sorry to have missed it, but on Aug. 1 the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed the Kunzel 30th Anniversary Celebration: John Williams Tribute, at Rivinia.

Some of the featured songs were:

Olympic Fanfare Theme from Jaws

“Bicycle Chase” from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Main Theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Main Themes from Jurassic Park

“Harry’s Wondrous World” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Main Theme from Superman

Main Theme from Schindler’s List

“The Raiders March” from Raiders of the Lost Ark
“Flag Parade” from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

“Anakin’s Theme” from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
“Duel of the Fates” from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
“Across the Stars” from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
“Battle of the Heroes” from Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith

“Princess Leia’s Theme” from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

“The Imperial March” from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

“Yoda’s Theme” from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

“Parade of the Ewoks” from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Main Theme from Star Wars

John Williams has to be the most renowned film score composer of all time, as evidenced by his strong body of work indicated above. He has won five Academy Awards and four Golden Globes so far, and currently has the most Oscar nominations for any living person: 45. Most of these songs are true classics, and instantly recognizable. They bring flashbacks of the movie's specific scenes.

One of his most recent bodies of work has been for the fourth installment of Indiana Jones, where he made use of the new fretless electronic keyboard called the Continuum Fingerboard.

The instrument, designed by University of Illinois Electrical & Computer Engineering Lecturer Lippold Haken, is technically a MIDI controller where the device itself merely serves to activate the sensors located under the flat red neoprene playing surface. The Continuum responds to a player's finger placement and pressure in three dimensions.

The music examples featured in the film are played by Randy Kerber and composed by Williams. This instrument, with its wide range of pitch and tone, is certainly on the leading edge for what is yet to come with film scores.

So, do you have a favorite song written especially for a movie?