Runtime: 1 hr. 39 min.
Genre: Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense
Theatrical Release: Jul 23, 2010 Limited
Synopsis: As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a... [More]
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Andre Braugher
Director: Phillip Noyce
Evelyn Salt the character are perpetually in motion and that's a good thing for its own sake and because it keeps audiences from dwelling on how unapologetically preposterous the plot in question is.
And really, who goes to summer action movies for cast-iron logic anyway? Or for plausible characters, for that matter? You go for brisk stunts expertly executed, for well-directed action that doesn't allow you to catch your breath and for one of the preeminent action stars of our time. Yes, that would be Angelina Jolie.
With what she does here on top of "Lara Craft: Tomb Raider," "Wanted" and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," Jolie has earned the right to be considered not a potent female action star but a potent action star period, end of story.
What makes her so good, and what is visible as she deftly navigates the unending silliness of "Salt," are traits that add up to a fierce commitment to action, a determination to make the role of a CIA agent who literally and metaphorically takes no prisoners as convincing as she can.
For one thing, although aided by stunt double Eunice Huthart, Jolie is athletic and fearless enough to do many of her own stunts, including nervy scenes of jumping from moving truck to moving truck (albeit done with the aid of cables and harnesses that were removed in post-production).
The actress is also expert at projecting the ice cold fury that makes "Salt's" fight scenes strong. Jolie's don't-mess-with-me fierceness is palpable, and it allows her to angrily throw herself into the martial arts action like she means every blow she strikes.
Her casting makes all the difference in a part that would be completely standard if a man played it. (One of the well-known ironies of Jolie's success in "Salt" is that screenwriter Kurt Wimmer originally wrote the role for a man.). It is the contrast between what cultural conditioning in general and Hollywood movies in particular tell us about women's roles and what Jolie can in fact accomplish that holds our interest here.
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