Salt

As I’ve said several times before, the sub-genre of spy films (or espionage/spy thrillers as they’re sometimes referred) has long been a popular well for Hollywood to draw from for inspiration and box office success. Typically these films have centered on a tough-as-nails male action hero type, many times with a strong desire for women and specific types of alcoholic beverages. In 2010, that all changed with the release of the action-packed thrill ride “Salt” starring Angelina Jolie (“Wanted”) in the title role.

“Salt” chronicles the espionage powder keg that explodes when CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) is accused of being a double agent for Russia tasked with assassinating the President of the United States. With her loyalty in question, her career in jeopardy, and the life she’s known being turned on its ear; Salt will do whatever it takes to clear her name, reclaim her life, and prevent an international incident from occurring before time runs out.

Let me start by saying this: leave it to Angelina Jolie to be the first woman to successfully infiltrate this predominantly male headlined sub-genre of film. Not only that, but with her acting prowess, determination and physicality, be able to convincingly portray a character that can stand toe-to-toe with Bond and Bourne. Of course, this shouldn’t be that surprising given that Angelina has proven time and again through various roles that there is not a single genre in which she cannot find success.

As the character of Evelyn Salt, Angelina is truly run through a veritable gauntlet of physical and emotional tests. In one scene she can be scaling the side of a very tall building (a stunt she performed herself) or witnessing a horrible act as she tries to remain stoic, but a subtly quivering lip belies her inner turmoil. Or desperately trying to convince those around her of the truth; no matter what the scene calls for Angelina always delivers to perfection.

I don’t think there are too many other actresses out there, if any, that could have believably pulled off such a demanding role that is rife with intensity, duplicity, drama, and action. Sure several actresses could have handled some of the facets of the character, but all of them? In this I believe Angelina stands alone, and that is why I believe her to be probably the best, and certainly the most versatile, actress of her generation.

An interesting side note for the character is that originally Tom Cruise (“Mission: Impossible”) was attached to the role, but reportedly dropped out to film the romantic action comedy “Knight and Day”. Thus, prompting the role to be rewritten from a male to a female, supposedly with Angelina in mind from then on.

Anyway, alongside Angelina are two very talented actors in the primary supporting roles, Liev Schreiber (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (“Four Brothers”).

Liev plays a fellow CIA agent of Salt’s named Ted Winter, and is the only person at the agency who seems to believe that she is innocent of the accusations against her. Liev’s character is a mixture of the typical no-nonsense agent, but with a healthy sense of humor and a protective, brotherly relationship with Salt. Aside from those character traits, Liev also imbues the character with charm and an underlying sense that he will do whatever it takes to protect Salt whether she’s innocent or guilty.

All together Liev’s performance makes his character much more memorable than one would expect from such a role. Plus, the early scenes between him and Salt bantering back and forth are enjoyable to watch.

As for Chiwetel Ejiofor, he plays a government operative named Peabody who unlike Winter is not inclined to simply believe in Salt’s innocence, despite her years of service to the red, white, and blue. For the most part, Ejiofor plays the role by the book as the clichéd government stooge that is blind to anything except the evidence on display. Even with this fairly one-dimensional character, Chiwetel still manages to make his scenes pop, thanks entirely to his charismatic disposition.

One more bit of casting I would like to discuss before moving on, and this one in particular struck me as odd when watching this film. Why, oh why did Andre Braugher (“Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer”) sign on to the most thankless role of Secretary of Defense? With an actor of his caliber and credibility, one would expect that he signed on for the role due to it being such a good character. However, he’s given nothing to do other than run around in one scene and hand phones to people, all the while saying only a sentence of dialogue.

Seriously, this is a role that should have been handled by some no-name actor or even someone like Cuba Gooding, Jr. who has been relegated to the realm of Direct-to-DVD. Wasting the talent of Andre Braugher on a role such as this is completely mind-boggling and somewhat insulting to his long-lasting career. But, overall this was a minor issue and I digress.

Of course the cast would be nothing without the script written by Kurt Wimmer (“A Perfect Getaway”), who has proven yet again to be a terrific storyteller. Loaded with twists and turns, gripping action set pieces, and engaging drama, the story for “Salt” is entertaining from start to finish.

Understandably with a movie like this one has to be careful in how much is revealed, because the risk of spoiling is incredibly high. So, the only other thing I will say about this film’s story is this: at the end of the movie, I guarantee you will be left begging for more.

Now I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the other major contributor to this movie’s success, director Phillip Noyce (“Clear and Present Danger”). With a movie so jam-packed with fast-paced, hard-hitting action scenes one would expect the movie to have been directed by someone more oriented with the action genre. Not to say that Phillip Noyce is unfamiliar with action scenes, it’s just his films aren’t generally so heavy in this area. Even so, he directs the pulse-pounding action with as sure a hand as he does during the quieter, more dramatic moments.

Also, Noyce’s excellent directing and pacing of the film ensured that the story was provided plenty of breathing room to unfold naturally; that way it wouldn’t seem as if the story was there to serve the action rather than the other way around. And the use of flashbacks, which can backfire for some films, was perfect for providing character development and context, while breaking up the monotony of linear storytelling. It’s no wonder why Phillip Noyce is heralded as a master of the espionage thriller.

All in all, “Salt” is a thoroughly entertaining movie, filled to the brim with excitement and intrigue. This film and its star, Angelina Jolie, prove that they belong in the pantheon of spy thrillers and hopefully we haven’t seen the last of Evelyn Salt.

“Salt” is rated PG-13 for violence and language.