Movie Review – Salt
- Summary -
Director : Phillip Noyce
Year Of Release : 2010
Principal Cast : Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, August Diehl, Daniel Olbrychski.
Awards : Nil.
Approx Running Time : 1hr 50 minutes.
Aspect Ratio : 2.40:1
Synopsis: CIA Agent Evelyn Salt is accused of being a Russian spy. She takes off, ostensibly to stop an assassination on the life of the visiting Russian President. Her persuers must try to determine whether she’s actually a deep cover spy, or one of the good guys, before events spiral out of control and threaten to reignite the Cold War and nuclear apocalypse.
What we think : Female-slanted Bourne clone, with Jolie doing her riff on Lara Croft/Mrs Smith, as Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent on the run after being labelled as a deep-cover Russian spy. Director Philip Noyce brings his A-game to the screenplay, directing the action with a breathless rapid-fire editorial panache, although he still can’t overcome wooden characters and been-there, done-that plot devices. Good, but not great, entertainment.
Our Rating : 6/10
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Having enjoyed the film career of Angelina Jolie since discovering her in the TV miniseries Gia (thanks a lot for that one, Ms Jolie!), I was naturally keen to see her once again don the action-girl suit and lock-and-load. Salt, her latest action venture, was originally written for a male lead character, although when Jolie decided to get involved, this was swapped for a female one. I think this decision proved wise, considering just how similar in tone Salt is to the Bourne films starring Matt Damon. It’s this similarity that works both for and against the Jolie actioner, as it struggles to escape the shadow of the Ludlum character but feels like a warm blanket of familiarity. Jolie’s winning looks, her ability to pull off the role of action heroine, and director Noyce’s history with fast paced films of this nature, all click together here; Salt is a film lacking subtlety and charm, instead holding firm to its fast-paced narrative to hold your attention. Is it a good film? It’s okay, but there are enough flaws to prevent it achieving the franchise potential the Bourne films currently enjoy.







































