film review: salt
Salt is an entertaining action blockbuster, filled with mystery, romance and political intrigue. Evelyn Salt is a CIA agent who has proven her loyalty to the job (in the opening sequence she is seen being beaten and forced to swallow petrol by officers in North Korea, but decides to continue with her work after she is released). On the day of her wedding anniversary, a defector enters the CIA headquarters in Washington DC and claims that Salt is in fact a Russian spy – one of many ‘sleeper spies’ living under false identities in the country. He claims that these sleeper spies were trained in Russia as children and will strike together to attack the United States on “X Day.”
Director Phillip Noyce (who specialises in political thrillers – Clear and Present Danger and Patriot Games are a couple of his previous films) claimed, “I have no doubt that sleeper spies are out there” (Salt production notes, Sony Pictures, 2010). Once Salt is accused, she uses her years of training and expertise to escape the CIA headquarters in an attempt to find her husband – but these actions seem to cast a shadow on her innocence. The mystery of the film lies in the question of whether or not she is in fact “good,” which is highlighted in the marketing campaign for the film: “Who is Salt?”
Angelina Jolie (Wanted, Changeling) plays the title character, a strong-willed female fighting other forces – not too dissimilar from her role as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider or Jane in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Jolie apparently expressed her desire to portray James Bond in passing to the Sony Pictures Chairman, and when this screenplay came along, the producers decided to change the gender of the lead character to a woman.
While it is certainly refreshing to see a female playing a Bond figure, Jolie is at times still cast as a sex symbol – at work she is seen wearing a tight skirt with a revealing split, and at one point she removes her underwear to cover a surveillance camera. But Jolie’s willingness and ability to complete the action sequences herself is admirable. She noted: “I love doing action movies, I’ve always loved to run and jump around and be physical” (Salt production notes, Sony Pictures, 2010). Overall, I think the film will appeal to both men and women as the action sequences are balanced by the romance between Salt and her husband. Be ready for the next big spy franchise, as the final shots of the film suggest the likelihood of a sequel(s).
