SALT review
SALT review
Sep 04
Unlike many who, perhaps understandably, raised a questionable eyebrow when they first saw the trailer for Salt, I was instantly excited. I knew right away I wanted to see this film. Not just because it starred Angelina Jolie; not just because it was directed by fellow Aussie Phillip Noyce; and not just because it looked like a straight-forward-good-time-no-brainer action thriller; but because it appeared to present all of these things in one sexy 100 minute package.
Boy I love it when a film delivers on its promise!
There were moments in the trailer that had me thinking the studio had given too much away in their bid to attract the majority audience. Thankfully, this wasn’t completely the case. Instead, Salt took a midpoint turn like no other film I can recall in recent times, and took the audience in a completely new direction that remarkably remained convincing and entertaining. Obviously I can’t write about what this directional change is – and, trust me, you haven’t guessed it – but it was undoubtedly a gamble that was paid off by patient and deliberate filmmaking from Noyce and his team. It could have so easily ended in shambles. The trailer shows hardly any snippets of the film beyond the midpoint. How could it? (If you’re planning on seeing it and haven’t yet, do so before someone drops the ball and reveals to you what this midpoint change is—I reckon it’d alter the viewing experience a great deal.)
Seeing as this is called Salt, please bear with me while I use a cooking motif in the next paragraph to describe the kind of film Salt brings to the table… Oh, glorious puns!
Take just a pinch of James Bond, add a huge dollop of The Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatum and a cup of Mission Impossible, add a teaspoon of MacGyver (remember him?) blend thoroughly, heat on high and serve smoking hot. That’s Salt.
Now, I don’t mean to say adding up the excitement of all of those films and franchises equals this film; rather, Salt contained elements of them all in new ways with a great female lead—and a plot that allows the female lead to have real purpose. Originally, Tom Cruise was set to play the lead Salt character before he backed out. The script was re-tooled once Jolie expressed interest. This is probably the best thing that could have ever happened for the project because the female lead really helps it stand out from a pack of usually-male-leads in this genre.
The bare-bones plot (for the sake of this review and spoilers) has Jolie, as Evelyn Salt, working for the CIA and is unexpectedly told, by a Russian spy, that she is a Russian spy and will try to kill the Russian President. “Whatever, you freak,” (paraphrasing) says Jolie, and she promptly tries to leave—but the CIA aren’t convinced of her innocence and will hunt her down wherever she goes. Oh no! Luckily she’s a highly trained agent who can kick ass and get herself out of the stickiest of situations. Oh yes! That’s the first 15 minutes for you…
Turns out I’m an Angelina Jolie fan. I mean, I’ve always admired her work and been interested in her film career (as opposed to her tabloid life). There’s no doubt Jolie can act—she has an Oscar to prove it—so it’s strange to have conversations with young folk today who haven’t bothered seeing Girl, Interrupted and sight Jolie as nothing more than a boobs-and-hair action star. She’s so much more. Salt actually helps underline my point. She takes the thick drama (ala The Changeling) needed to plead her innocence to the CIA and blends it perfectly with kickass action skills required to knock guys the fuck out (ala Tomb Raider, Mr & Mrs Smith). I never questioned her performance—I was convinced of her struggle to prove her innocence and I was convinced she was in pain whenever a baddie got a cheap shot in. I mean, she’s hardly out for an Oscar in this one, is she? Turn up, go hard and look damn good doing it. She was sexy like a Bond girl only she had the lead role and was doing the cool, dangerous, exhilarating action.
The supporting cast included solid, straight-laced performances from Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor as important guys in suits. There wasn’t much room for them to move with the spotlight shining so bright on Jolie; they delivered their characters simply as required for such a story.
I enjoyed the way director Phillip Noyce didn’t throw a brick at the audience, yet still allowed everything to be explained point-blank. Aside from some excruciating flashback memories from Joile that hold on her while awful cross-fades bring them up, the film is paced and delivered near-perfectly. Everything is laid out and explained in creative ways, following the engaging plot was a breeze and aided the mountain of wonderful set-pieces. For instance, unlike the Bourne sequels, I could actually keep track of who was hitting whom during a fight sequence; all of them wonderfully orchestrated and easy to follow.
There isn’t too much else to say for a film of this ilk. It would be a waste of time trying to critique the cinematography or the subtexts, because this isn’t trying to be a thought-provoking art film. Salt is an action thriller with some great originality, and it was a blast to watch. You won’t find it on many ‘100 Movies You Must See’ lists 10 years from now, but as far as modern-day thrillers go, it’s definitely a stand-out.
Of all the overblown sequels and franchises we see in this day and age, here’s an original character in a great new action-thriller environment that’s original and deserves a second go-round. I’d definitely get in line for a sequel.
SALT
