Cast: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Andre Braugh
Synopsis: As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt’s efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: “Who Is Salt?”
Review: Our Little Tomb Raider is all grown up. If that was the beginning of her combat and weapons training, in WANTED Jolie was just treading water as SALT shows a matured weapons expert and hand-to-hand combat queen at work. Jolie seems able to switch between testosterone-fuelled action adventure and thought provoking, heartfelt drama with relative ease. Her GIRL, INTERRUPTED and CHANGELING roles are examples of her dramatic prowess and SALT is perhaps the perfect example of how well she can kick action butt!
Ejiofor has stuck to dramas for the most part. There was his all singing and dancing KINKY BOOTS, LOVE ACTUALLY and the woeful 2012, however you can pretty much say he’s a dramatic actor through and through. Seeing him wield a gun and run through the streets of DC is a nice change. Although his character did not yield much emotional depth here there was no great need to. His CIA persona served a purpose and that was to hunt and capture SALT. Ejiofor did not have to stretch much here beyond actual physical exertion and he was engaging enough to pull focus when he was on screen. He didn’t seem uncomfortable in the genre however he is definitely better suited to poignant pieces.
Schreiber is sometimes encumbered with the moniker ‘Mr Naomi Watts’. Whilst he appears in some good flicks they don’t quite have the box office impact Ms Watts’ do. WOLVERINE was his biggest Box Office experience and SALT may just top that, allowing audiences the opportunity to see his credible talent at work. Schreiber is also guilty of two-dimensional acting in most of his films. Here he does it again for the most part. It works though as both he and Ejiofor are there to support Jolie’s starring role and they do so credibly.
Director Philip Noyce can handle a blockbuster and does well with it here. There are moments in the car chase action sequence where things go a little beyond belief and the acrobatics get way out of control however in the internal spaces the mood is tense and well orchestrated. This is a definite popcorn action movie largely for the boys and Noyce does well to execute it.
Cinematographer Robert Elswit is no stranger to the big screen having worked on MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS, THERE WILL BE BLOOD and MICHAEL CLAYTON so it’s no surprise that each fame is positioned well and serves to put the viewer in the heart of the action rather than just as a casual observer. As mentioned above, car chase scenes are where the film falls apart even for Elswit where the action seemed a little too loose for this reviewer.
Scribe Kurt Wimmer also penned LAW ABIDING CITIZEN and STREET KINGS. Both of those films were perhaps more enjoyable than this. Although there was only one moment of absolute predictability it was still a largely enjoyable film and Wimmer did well to hold interest. The Cold War element, took terrorism back to the days of yesteryear and pulled the heat back from the Middle East which is refreshing in modern cinema. It was a nice throw back to the days of old and the enemies that we know are going to be bad right from the first frame.
SALT was meant to star Tom Cruise as Evan Salt. He turned it down to revive the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE franchise and when that fell through, did KNIGHT & DAY instead. Suffice to say that tanked and perhaps Cruise may now regret his decision to opt out of SALT but this reviewer doesn’t. Jolie is great in the role and despite her waif frame manages to hold her own against the bad guys. A nice spy action film, not for the whole family but a decent date movie or one just for the boys – with love.
Note: When hiring it, make sure you watch the Director’s Cut as there are many, more confronting moment’s in this edit that wouldn’t have been allowed in the cinema release. These additions are what help up this reviewer’s rating.
Special Features: Top notch and comprehensive, taking a nice look behind the lens at the mechanics of the film. Well worth the purchase. There are 3 alternate endings to the film also which add extra weight to the release.
