Inanda

SALT – MOVIE REVIEW

Mpho Moloele

“So a Russian agent is going to kill a Russian president” is an intriguing line that creates suspense at the beginning of the movie Salt.

Salt (2010) an Action and Mystery movie directed by Phillip Noyce portrays Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) as a 

heroine and a not so innocent woman who has a lot to discover.

A CIA agent, Evelyn Salt, is accused by a defector of being a Russian spy who is going to assassinate the Russian president during the funeral of the United States vice president in New York. The lie detector scan confirms the accusations to be true. Salt becomes worried and thinks of her husband Michael Krause’s (August Diehl) safety as once “you blow up a spy, you blow up all the spies life” she said. Now, being a fugitive, she goes to New York to subconsciously uncover the truth about her identity. Ted Winter and Peabody both CIA agents want Salt to be captured dead or alive.  The question is, with all Salts skills and military training how will they capture her and be certain of who she is?

Evelyn Salts role initially being written for a man was magnificently done by an Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie. She portrayed the significance of the role of women in society and what women can achieve in the male dominated industry. Like the funny character Angelina Jolie played in Mr and Mrs Smith the powerful role of a woman was exceptionally executed. The stunts she played were dangerous but with the help of a lady who does her stunts, it is a job well done. During the course of the movie Salts character develops where she becomes emotionally and physically stronger.

A supporting actor Ted Winter (Liev Schreiber) who played an exceptional role in X-Men Origins: Wolverine did a good job playing a character of a CIA agent who had a hidden identity one would not even expect. Having won a Tony Award as Best featured actor his characters always grow and he does his best when playing them.

An actor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) known as Peabody in Salt has acted in a well renowned movie entitled 2012 where he aims to achieve the best. CIA agent, Peabody had to make a tough decision in the movie which will determine the future of his country and the world. His character in the movie does not grow much until towards the end.

The movie Salt which has an unpredictable ending, starts out by making no sense of logic in terms of the sequence. Some of the scenes are unrealistic which makes one doubt the director’s decision to cast a woman in a role originally written for a man.

The music corresponded with the scenes and brought more effect to the movie. The sound effects make one to have an actual feel of the occurrences. Visuals of the movie made one understand the atmosphere of the exact vicinity a certain scene was done.

Significant historical events such as the assassination of JF Kennedy and World War 2 were profound and highlighted. These events contributed to the storyline of the movie.

The movie can be watched by children from the age of 14 with parental guidance and plays for 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Salt is a movie where you need to put your thinking cap on as you wouldn’t want to be lost while Evelyn Salt is finding her identity.