Editorial
Front Page - Friday, August 6, 2010
The Critic's Corner
David Laprad
I love salt. I’ll add it to just about everything on my plate. Even when my wife seasons something to perfection while cooking, I’ll grab the shaker, saying, “I want more salt!”
I said the same thing after watching Angelina Jolie’s new film. Titled, as you’ve probably guessed, “Salt,” the movie gives Jolie a chance to show off her action hero chops, previously seen in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” the “Tomb Raider” movies and “Wanted.”
Jolie stars as Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent with a distinguished record of service. As the film opens, her superiors ask her to interrogate a Russian defector named Orlov. With other officials watching from behind a two-way mirror, Orlov tells Salt a Russian spy plans to gun down the president of Russia during the leader’s upcoming visit to the U.S. He then says the name of the spy is “Evelyn Salt.” Since brain scans show Orlov is telling the truth, Salt has to escape as her fellow agents move in to contain her.
Salt turns out to be slippery prey, easily slipping through the fingers of anyone who tries to capture her. I held my breath as she scaled a building with no ledges, jumped off a highway overpass and onto a passing semi truck and sped through rush hour traffic on a stolen motorcycle. Jolie is, arguably, one of the best dramatic actors working in Hollywood today, and while I enjoy that side of her career, I get a kick out of seeing her let loose in a summer action movie.
Salt’s escape brings up a number of questions: Is she an undercover agent with an eye on a kill? Are her job and marriage a ruse? Was Orlov trying to frame her for some reason? Is she a double-double agent who will turn the tables on her homeland? “Salt” aims to keep you guessing as it plows through a couple of jarring twists and an intriguing back-story.
I liked several things about “Salt.” For starters, it’s as preposterous as a James Bond film, but director Phillip Noyce (“Clear and Present Danger” and “Patriot Games”) and the cast play it straight, which sold me on the story. Also, Noyce is a skilled hand at framing, editing and pacing, so the movie is nicely shot and cut together, and it moves along at a fast clip. Finally, Jolie is as good as ever in a role that appears to have been physically and dramatically demanding. It must have been challenging for her to create a character that was both sympathetic enough to keep an audience on the hook and menacing enough to make the same viewers wonder if Salt is indeed a heartless assassin.
As much as I enjoyed “Salt,” the film is not without problems. The biggest issue involves the lack of suspense regarding the true nature of Jolie’s character. As the movie progresses, Noyce drops two trails of breadcrumbs, both leading in different directions. Unfortunately, one trail is clearly more plausible than the other, which alleviates much of the tension that needs to be there for “Salt” to be completely effective as a thriller.
Near the beginning, I made up my mind who Salt was, stuck to my guns when it looked like things were going the other way, and ended up being right. That says less about my ability to pick up on things in the movie and more about writer Kurt Wimmer’s inability to better mask them.
The other issue with “Salt” is going to bother some viewers more than others. Ever since the release of “Bourne Supremacy,” nauseating camerawork and rapid-fire editing have assaulted moviegoers almost nonstop. I’ve complained about this incessantly, while praising directors like James Cameron (“Avatar”), J.J. Abrams (“Star Trek”), and the Hughes Brothers (“The Book of Eli”) for their more traditional approach, which allows viewers to actually see what’s taking place.
“Salt” falls somewhere between the two. While Noyce thrusts his camera up close to the action, and while there’s a whole lot o’ shakin’ going on at times, for the most part, I was able to follow what took place. There are a few clumsy jumps, as though key transitional shots are missing, but Noyce never leaves his audience stranded.
Also, “Salt” has more than a few gaping plot holes. For instance, what happened to the president of the United States, and shouldn’t he have been able to prevent Salt’s ultimate fate?
Despite its problems, “Salt” is an entertaining, well-made action thriller featuring a standout performance by Jolie. Although a sequel isn’t necessary, the ending leaves the door for one open. I hope the film does well enough to warrant a follow-up because, as far as I’m concerned, there’s no such thing as too much Salt.
Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.
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