‘SALT’ (2010): THE ANGELINA JOLIE SPY THRILLER

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Angelina Jolie is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Hers is a name that plasters across many a Hollywood billboard. Despite it all, I am not a die-hard fan; for a variety of reasons. Somehow, Salt did appeal to my cinematic interests, so I watched it.

Salt (2010) Film Review

Evelyn Salt (Jolie) is one of the CIA’s best assets. She knows her job and does what they expect of her. Two years ago, in North Korea after a mission goes wrong, she became a poisoner. What Evelyn doesn’t understand is her release in exchange for a trade. Turns out, the one man she fell in love with while on an assignment, turns the world upside down until he finds her. Now, with the truth out between them, she happily marries the German native, Michael Krause and works for the CIA in a limited capacity.

Salt’s handler, Ted Winter (Liv Schreiber) finds her departure from undercover work hard to take. Her life revolves around her happy marriage now. Just as Evelyn plans to celebrate her first anniversary, she’s detained to interview a Russian with claims of an assassination. It’s this accusation that turns her world upside down.

This all sets into motion a series of conspiracy theories that will forever change everything: Who is Evelyn Salt?  

Let’s start with this: It’s no great secret that I love a good action flick. As Angelina is not my favorite celebrity made liking this something of a surprise. What I do like is the Bourne trilogy and so, of course, Salt‘s similar vibe helps in that allure. To say this isn’t a decently brilliant script wouldn’t be fair to the writers. To say the director didn’t put together one of the most interesting espionage thrillers would be unmerited. Because the truth is that Salt does live up to its tagline.  

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Angelina Jolie stars as the mysterious ‘SALT’ (2010) in this action blockbuster! #ReviewArchives #Movies #AngelinaJolie Share on X

At its best, confusion and the adventure of the chase keeps everything interesting. This isn’t just an action flick; it’s an intelligent “who’s who” that keeps us on edge, guessing any number of possible results. In truth, the plot may be implausible but as with any good spy caper, there’s still lots of good action scenes. It’s big, bold and action-packed.  

I like the movie, a lot. Having said that, both the beginning and end don’t set up well. I can appreciate the anti-climatic ending because, most filmmakers want the potential for a sequel, but I cannot agree with the beginning, mainly because, it never fully explains what it has to do with Salt’s quest for… revenge? …redemption? …truth? Or whatever she may be searching for. We aren’t led to wonder if the hero defines the definition of “hero” or defies the definition of a “villain.” The notion that there are suspicious in this case is quite fun.

Content: there’s a whole lot of violence. Someone kills an entire company of “comrades,” one of whom is killed by a bottle [although the impact is off-camera, blood spurts]. The rest die from a bomb or a gun wound. Others die from a point blank gunshot, stabbing or punched out. An intense fight sequence climaxes things, and in an unexpected flash, someone is choked to death by a chain, snapping his neck instantaneously. Profanity is a part of the dialogue; sh*t, d**m, h*ll, etc is the brunt of it. The story opens with a woman in captivity in only her underwear; her face is bloody and briefly, there’s instances of torture. The film is PG-13.