My Movie Review on Salt (2010) (Theatrical Version) · 9:29pm Oct 27th, 2021
Yo, what's up, Kemosabes?
This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.
Today, for the 7th installment of this year's "Spook Spectacular", I'm gonna give you guys my take of Angelina Jolie's "Salt". The theatrical version to be precise.
Here's the rundown of this thriller:
Evelyn Salt is a CIA agent who has been living a charming and successful life, particularly thanks to marrying German arachnologist Mike Krause.
However, when a Russian defector named Oleg Vassily Orlov visits the police station, he claims that a Russian sleeper agent, who is part of a secret organization made to destroy the United States, will attempt to assassinate Russia's president while he visits America. As if that isn't baffling enough, he claims that Evelyn Salt herself is a Russian sleeper agent.
After being framed by Orlov and discovering that her husband was kidnapped, Evelyn goes on the run from the CIA to find her husband and somehow put an end to the organization of sleeper agents once and for all.
In all honesty, "Salt" wasn't something I had in my personal collection nor saw very often. But, I was interested in seeing the movie based on it starred Angelina Jolie in the title role, having been a fan of much of her film work for years. Other elements that peaked my interest in the film came from the involvements of Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor, mainly since I'm a fan of their work in some other movies too.
A couple of times, I watched the theatrical version of "Salt" via Hulu. In preparation for reviewing it, though, I watched it a third time by buying it on Apple TV since my previous experiences with it were positive enough for doing so. It wasn't available for free on any of the usual streaming services, so that's why I ultimately did that.
After seeing "Salt" again for analysis purposes, I'd like to admit that I didn't think the movie was perfect. It's mainly because the beginning of the film, which featured Evelyn Salt getting tortured in a North Korean prison by soldiers, was a little too intense and risqué for a PG-13 movie. The scene even featured Evelyn in her under garments, which I believe isn't appropriate for teen viewing.
Other than that...
I really must say that this is one of the best thrillers I ever watched!
For instance, the direction by Phillip Noyce, and the story by Kurt Wimmer and (uncreditably) Brian Heldgeland, were fantastic!
When I saw the trailers, I thought that the story was going to be something like "The Fugitive" because of it being about a protagonist on the run from the CIA. But, while that is the case in some ways, the plot proved to be something completely its own thanks the the difference in scenarios.
What stood out to me the most about the story, though, was that it managed to be surprising and unexpected in the best way! I won't reveal the reasons for why I think so due to spoiler-reasons, but I will say that the twists and turns "Salt" had helped it not fall into certain cliches that were done numerous times in other films. It doesn't make itself as predictable as people would think it'd be, and it takes a great talent to make a movie that's beyond what the summary states. Each time I've watched the film, I've also noted that everything became clearer as the movie progressed and managed to come full-circle once the climax came. The flashback sequences were likewise very well-done, in large part because they successfully gave a greater understanding of who Evelyn is and provided more insight on her relationships with Mike, Ted, and Orlov; they weren't out of place either.
Plus, there were snippets of wit here and there to help ease the tension, the action sequences were a blast to watch, and the dramatic on and emotional sides of the film were well-played to the point of being genuine. The cinematography of the film was also very beautiful to look at.
The acting, characters, and character development were amazing too.
At one point, I read that in the film's early stages Evelyn Salt was originally going to be a male character named Edwin A. Salt, with Tom Cruise set to play the part. But, Cruise ultimately decided to not take on the role due to feeling that it'd be too similar to his work as Ethan Hunt in the Mission Impossible movies. Brian Heldgeland would later come in and change the character from a male to a female, with Jolie being offered the part and taking on the role.
In all honesty, I think the change turned out to be incredibly beneficial for the film.
Angelina Jolie was awesome in the role of Evelyn Salt! She incorporated an emotionality that helped her character be incredibly human and three-dimensional, and there was an unpredictable nature to her performance that didn't make Evelyn someone to read right out of the blue. She gave Evelyn a great witty side to reflect her own sense of humor too. When it came to making sure Evelyn had personality through her portrayal, Jolie definitely didn't mess around. The way she took on the action sequences and physically-demanding scenes was likewise nothing short of admirable, because it all came with a willingness to take risks. Evelyn herself had dynamic development, and everything about her growth was brilliantly handled. She also proved to be an enrapturing focus capable of carrying her own story, and she certainly wasn't without personality.
The rest of the cast members were remarkable as well.
If I had to pick which supporting players gave the best performances, it'd be Liev Schreiber as Theodore "Ted" Winter, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Darryl Peabody, and Daniel Olbrychski as Orlov. No matter how much screen time they had, each of the three cast members practically commanded the screen by delivering powerful performances. The three aforementioned characters also had personalities and developments to help them standout.
Finally, the music by James Newton Howard was magnificent.
As with most of the other movies I've watched where he was the composer, Howard created a score that entrancing in every way. His material fit the overall tone and concept, of course. It was the way his music captured the emotions of the characters was what really caught my attention, along with it reflecting the character development.
In conclusion, the theatrical version of "Salt (2010)" isn't 100% flawless. But, it proves itself to be an accomplished action-thriller that also manages to be one. Everything about the film makes it perhaps one of the most overlooked in cinema.
So, I rate the theatrical version of "Salt (2010)" 4½ out of 5 stars.
To Columbia Pictures: I know that it's been over a decade since this movie was made, but...I would love for you guys to give it a sequel or more at some point. Everything was left pretty open-ended for Evelyn once the ending came, and so that made me want to see where things would be going for her afterwards.
So, can you guys please make sequels to this film?
I'll make sure to take a gander at this film when I get a chance, buddy. Your review has been very encouraging.