I realize I’m a little late to this party. Salt, with Angelina Jolie, was released a couple of months ago and is finishing up its first run, but should be coming soon to a cable channel or Blue Ray near you. I liked Salt. It’s a pretty decent film. You may recall that I was less than impressed with Jolie in “Wanted” (Wanted: A plot would be nice!)
This picture is much better. You are not asked to suspend your disbelief any more than say, your typical James Bond film. Let’s see what I can tell you without too many plot spoilers.
Jolie is Evelyn Salt, a CIA field agent, captured by the North Koreans, rescued by the world famous arachnologist who loves her. (Girl meets arachnologist. Girl loses arachnologist. Arachnologist gets girl. –who hasn’t seen that before?)
Years later, a Russian agent defects to the West with the message that a Russian sleeper is going to assassinate the Russian president, in the US attending the state funeral of a clearly fictional, too good to be true, vice president.
Is Salt a sleeper or a double agent? Is she trying to assassinate the Russian president or save him? Are those lips real? Which side is she really on? While there were no major surprises for me, (I have a high rate of success figuring out plot lines and devices in the first act), the director’s and/or writer’s use of foreshadowing gives plenty of clues to where the plot path will wander, for those paying attention.
The director maintains a nice edge of suspense, even when you’re fairly certain what must happen next, but not necessarily how. The action scenes and stunts keep the pace fast. There is a good deal of violence, however. The brutality, even when dealt out to those who probably deserve it, could be too much for those of gentler sensibilities. But for an afternoon’s entertainment, Salt is an excellent popcorn movie.
The burning question that must be on everyone’s mind as they leave the theater, (it certainly was on mine) is…what will happen to the dog?
4 out of 5 stars
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