Pulsating chase scenes and knuckle-biting escapes
When a Russian defector accuses Agent Salt of being a spy, her world almost comes to an end, writes Edgar Kangere
Movie: Salt
Director: Phillip Noyce
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski
We have all seen this storyline before; intelligence agent on the run who outwits every other agent in the movie and takes the day. Well, this is another one of those movies, except that it has Angelina Jolie. When I first read about this movie online, I was more than prepared not to watch it, especially when early speculation linked Tom Cruise to the lead role. But when word leaked that the lead role had gone to Angelina Jolie, I, like almost every other man I know, could not wait to watch it.
When I saw all the hype surrounding Salt, I was worried for a while that it would be another letdown like Avatar, but to my great relief, it wasn’t. The story is woven around this Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) character, a CIA agent with skills as mad as her looks. When a Russian defector forces her on the run after accusing her of being a Russian spy, her world comes to an end and ours (the watchers) begins. From pulsating chase scenes, knuckle-biting escapes, conspiracy, mystery and suspense, this movie has everything you would want in an action movie and more.
Sure, this is no Bourne Identity and to be honest, it wouldn’t be fair to compare other movies to it, but Salt is worthy of its own place in the “Spy on the run” hall of fame, if anything for Angelina’s passionate and dedicated performance. After her previous displays in Wanted and Mr and Mrs Smith, Jolie is certainly curving out a niche for herself with guns.
Angelina pulls off a masterful performance in the lead role while Liev Schreiber, whom you may remember as Saber Tooth in the fourth instalment of the X-Men franchise Wolverine and Chiwetel Ejiofor who played the concerned doctor/professor in 2012, are in supporting roles. If you ask me, there could have been better options for supporting roles for half the time they seemed to be waiting for some cue from the director.
For the lovers of action, this movie has everything but for dialogue fanatics like myself, the scripting is basic and wanting. Not to worry though; the sound effects ought to keep you distracted enough not to notice, but in case you’re looking for brilliant lines to quote to your friends to sound cool, you might grow old waiting.
Out of five, I would give this movie three for its action sequences, but on performance, I can’t help thinking it was an Angelina Jolie away from total disaster.
