Movie Review #42 Salt

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Salt (2010) Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber Directed by Phillip Noyce

Director Phillip Noyce really likes spies and the CIA. He directed Clear and Present Danger, Patriot Games, and The Saint (which was awful). Sticking true to his form he comes to us in 2010 with yet another spy/CIA flick called Salt. Originally this film was to star Tom Cruise as the maybe Russian spy who the CIA can’t catch up to and honestly I don’t know how that would’ve worked. I actually think the dynamic that Angelina Jolie brings to the movie is one that is vital for the film (meaning yet again if you don’t buy into her…you may not like the film). The plot is quite simple and as the action grows the stakes in the plot grow (probably a bit too much actually), but the simplicity in the “Who is Evelyn Salt” tagline really makes for an interesting first 20 minutes. The movie is a good summer ride that won’t keep you guessing (with many predictable plot turns), but keeps you entertained the whole way through. I think since Jolie and Cruise were both linked to this film it is fitting that I am having a hard time deciding which film (Salt or Knight & Day) is the best action movie thus far of the summer).

Salt is the story of CIA officer Evelyn Salt (the always good in kick-ass action roles, Angelina Jolie) who is implicated in a plot to kill the Russian President. She claims she is innocent and flees the scene in order to save her husband from harm. On the hunt for the now rogue agent is Ted Winter (played well by the always good Liev Schreiber) and Peabody (played fine by Chiwetal Ejiofor)…though it is really unclear what the specific jobs of theses guys are (as is often the case in these types of movies…anybody find out what Jessica Biel’s job title was in the A-Team yet?). The action is fierce and it starts out hot and fast and really never lets up, the only problem I found with that, was that in order to keep up that pace some storylines had to be sped up and probably not explained or built up properly…but no harm no foul I get that the “Bourne-like” pace was a key element to the film. I really liked the movie and it was nice to see Jolie in something other than a “Grocery Store” gossip magazine (isn’t that story like a decade old now?), she really oozes strong take charge woman and can pull these roles off well. I highly recommend Salt. As it stands it is the top summer action flick narrowly beating out Knight & Day which was also a fun popcorn movie.

(The Shawshank Scale 1-10) Ok so there is one scene in the film where Jolie has to dress up in disguise as a guy and it’s really disturbing, but other than that part she really is a vision on-screen and carries this film admirably…good for a strong 6.5 on the scale.

Food For Thought: What’s next for Jolie…what else perhaps the role she was born to play…Cleopatra, out next year. She also has an interesting film co-starring Johnny Depp called The Tourist (which is getting good buzz) out later this year. Up next for Liev Schreiber is also interesting…the yet to be titled film coming out later this year is a huge ensemble film comprised of short stories by different directors who include Brett Ratner, Bob Odenkirk, and Elizabeth Banks…hmm we will see how that works.