Cinema Review: Salt

Tomb Raider; Mr & Mrs Smith; Wanted. A minor collection of Angelina Jolie’s action romps that have either left viewers reeling for more or simply bemused with the story, but never disappointed with Jolie’s investment to the role. Salt, a Phillip Noyce directed action thriller, is her latest, proving further more that she may just well be the definition of an action superstar.

CIA agent Evelyn Salt is thrown into a world of utter chaos once a Russian defector accuses her of being a Russian super spy, thrown into an American lifestyle years ahead of the intended attack to throw off any suspicion, with every intention of taking down the American president.

The brutality of the opening scene depicts a film alarmingly more hard-hitting than the trailer previewed, with Salt introduced in a North Korean camp being tortured to inexplicable lengths. Already, Law Abiding Citizen-writer Kurt Wimmel has differentiated his latest from the rest of Hollywood’s desperate, simply lacklustre excuses for a decent action thriller.

Co-stars Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor are quickly thrown in place, with their roles proving important parts in Salt’s story. Without personally handing out potentially spoilerific information, they merely play their parts well, but, unarguably, it’s Jolie that nabs the film. Gloriously gorgeous, her vigorous performance as Salt is sole proof that as an actress, she’s fantastic, but as an action star, she is flawless. Seemingly effortless, she gold coats parkour into something that I’d be willing to take up instantly. Infinitely thrilling, Salt jumps from lorry to van, van to busy highway with the upmost enthusiasm. Whilst maintaining her truly bad-ass attitude, there’s a vulnerability to Evelyn, and that is the form of her German, arachnid-lover husband. Once kidnapped, Salt’s mission strays from time-to-time to finding her love and with Jolie’s ability to forcefully entrance viewers with her gargantuan, soul-seeking eyes, we’re catapulted on this journey with her.

Cleverly written, Wimmel provides enough intrigue to captivate most attention spans. While the script undeniably plummets into the hilariously farfetched, but most plot holes and short-comings (the flashbacks fall instantly tedious) are vastly overpowered. Salt thrives on the truly outlandish to immensely entertain, intensify and, with the few twists and turns, challenge viewers. Whether you predict the end or not, a good time is guaranteed.

4/5