Salt

[Dragonfire]

Salt

Evelyn Salt is an agent with the CIA who is planning her anniversary with her husband Mike.  Just as she is leaving for the day, someone claiming to be a Russian defector - Orlov - shows up claiming to have information.  Evelyn ends up talking to him and he talks about someone being a spy for the Russians.  Evelyn becomes the prime suspect after Orlov gives her name.  Worried about her husband, she decides to run to clear her name and find Mike.

My Thoughts

I enjoyed this movie overall, though it is a bit different than I expected.  It is good and entertaining, though not as good as Inception.  The plot is fairly simple, though there is an attempt to make it more complicated.  A few things happen that are probably intended to be surprising that really aren't.  The movie isn't completely predictable, though I did figure out something fairly early.  There is a little bit of mystery and suspense to what is going on.

The action scenes are what really stand out in the movie.  It seems clear that more attention has been given to that instead of more fully developing the story or characters.  The action scenes are impressive overall, though not that believable.  Salt bounces off the top of trucks and is in other accidents and can walk away without any injuries.  That is stretching things a bit.  Also, that highly annoying shaky camera work is used in many of the action scenes, especially any that involve fights.  I really hate that.

Evelyn is a somewhat interesting character, though she would have been a stronger character if she was developed more.  Angelina Jolie does well with the part.  Ted Winter works with Evelyn in the CIA and he is involved in looking for her once she goes on the run.  Liev Schreiber does really well with the part.  Orlov is only in a few scenes, but it is clear that he isn't a nice guy.  Peabody works for another government agency that has some kind of control over looking for a suspected spy.  I can't remember who he said he worked for now.  Chiwetel Ejiofor does well with the part.

This movie works as a decent action movie that has a bit of mystery and suspense to it.  It is entertaining and fans of the cast may find something to like.  It does remind me a bit of the Bourne movies in some ways.



I did post a review at Epinions if anyone is interested in take a look.

Salt

[Critter]

I quite like Jolie and have been interested in seeing this. I don't have exceptionally high hopes, but I still want to see it nonetheless.

[Dragonfire]

It is a good action movie and I think Jolie does really good with the part.  Some of the action pushes believability, but it is still entertaining.  The plot is interesting. 

[Jimmy]

I don't have exceptionally high hopes, but I still want to see it nonetheless.

Don't take it bad Sophie, but what's the point of spending a lot of money to watch a film you think it won't be good? It's kind of like saying to the studio : I know your movies are bad but I don't care, continue to not improved them since you will have my money anyway

Don't tell me that nothing interested you actually in your theater and is more worthy to get your money...

This isn't a comment on the movie itself since I haven't watch it, but I know this genre of movie aren't my cup of tea.

[Critter]

I don't have exceptionally high hopes, but I still want to see it nonetheless.

Don't take it bad Sophie, but what's the point of spending a lot of money to watch a film you think it won't be good? It's kind of like saying to the studio : I know your movies are bad but I don't care, continue to not improved them since you will have my money anyway

Don't tell me that nothing interested you actually in your theater and is more worthy to get your money...

This isn't a comment on the movie itself since I haven't watch it, but I know this genre of movie aren't my cup of tea.

I'm more the type to see every movie before I judge it. There have been times when I was really looking forward to a particular film, only to be quite dissapointed and let down with it. And other times when I haven't had high hopes at all for a film and been blown away by it. I came to the conclusion that I really can't know whether I will like a film or not based on marketing, so I try and see as many films in the cinema as I can, whether I was dying to see it or not. With obvious exceptions of course, like horror films.

[goodguy]

I'm interested in watching this too, although I will wait for the DVD. Roger Ebert and Matt Zoller Seitz reviewed it very favorably (they disagreed on Inception ).

Don't take it bad Sophie, but what's the point of spending a lot of money to watch a film you think it won't be good?

Well "good" is relative. Something like Salt isn't my usual cup of tea, but occasionally I'm in the mood for an action flick and this one seems to have that certain something that makes it enjoyable without pretending to be something else - an "intellectual" blockbuster, for example.

[Jon]

Marie, have you seen No Way Out with Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman? Decent little action flick with Costner tasked with finding a Russian agent, while being framed as being the agent himself. It used a gimmick of a computer processing the photo of the suspected Russian over 12 hours or something (pre Photoshop). Costner realises it's a picture of him and races to find the real agent before the picture is obvious to his colleagues. So it's a bit Minority Report too.

Anyway, I saw the trailer for Salt and it seemed like a similar idea.

[Dragonfire]

I haven't seen that one.  I'll have to try to find it sometime.

[Jon]

Well, Marie, I'm blaming you for something at last. You got me a bit more interested in Salt, enough to finally watch it.  It is awful! I'm really surprised you found such good things to say about it. I wonder if Matthias has seen it yet? He often feels let down by my recommendations and it would be funny if he liked this one!

[goodguy]

Yes, I've seen it last year, it's even listed in my 2010 list. And surprise: I liked it. 

[Jon]

 

[samuelrichardscott]

Thanks for reminding me I still need to buy this. I dug it.

[Alien Redrum]

I liked this one a lot, too. Stupid fun.

[Rogmeister]

"Salt" is one of the movies I got my brother this past Christmas.  I guess this is why he loves me now. 

[Dragonfire]

Well, Marie, I'm blaming you for something at last. You got me a bit more interested in Salt, enough to finally watch it.  It is awful! I'm really surprised you found such good things to say about it. I wonder if Matthias has seen it yet? He often feels let down by my recommendations and it would be funny if he liked this one!

 
Well I suppose I deserve it after all the purchases I've blamed on you..and will blame on you in the future.

It does have problems, but I thought it was entertaining overall.