- When I first saw this trailer a couple of months ago, I had no interest in seeing the movie. I thought it was ridiculous that they were bringing back ye olde favourite Cold War plot line of evil Russians trying to infiltrate the American government. “Do they even know what year it is?” I asked myself. I say all this as someone who love, love, loves covert Cold War espionage. Love it! And then — and then! — at the end of June a whole bunch of Russian spies got arrested in the United States! The Cold War is not over! And then overnight this movie became topical and exciting instead of outdated and tired.
- In the movie’s defense, my perceptions were definitely off base. Maybe my expectations were exceedingly low, but the wall-to-wall action kept the story moving really well and I I was pretty engaged the whole way through. Salt definitely takes a page out of John McClane’s book on more than one occasion — I feared there was going to be a scene where she would spend time pulling broken glass out of her bare feet — even if sometimes she’s closer to Live Free Or Die Hard McClane than Roy Rogers. I wouldn’t say that the story is terribly different from anything else in its genre, but it definitely succeeds despite aiming perhaps a little too low plot-wise. Definitely enjoyable.
- Speaking of which, it was kind of obvious the Russian president wasn’t dead. I’ve seen The Negotiator, I know you need to convince everyone else you’re capable of doing something terrible in order to use their assumptions to your advantage. When she randomly extracted venom from the spider, I was like “I CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT THAT’S FOR.”
- I feel like someone who is in as good shape as Salt is would have a pair of running shoes at home. Not sure why she thought it made sense to grab a pair of boots with at least a moderate heel on them.
- You’ve probably heard by now that this movie was originally meant to star Tom Cruise as Edwin Salt. (I think I like this version much better because it’s not Tom Cruise doing what Tom Cruise always does.) In that version, the movie was to end with Salt saving his wife and child; when Salt became a woman, they changed the nature of the spouse because being saved by a kick ass lady “seemed to castrate his character a little,” said the director. So… he gets shot and killed in front of Salt instead. Because dying is better than having your wife rescue you. Awesome!
- Was it necessary for Salt to be bound and tortured by members of the North Korean military while stripped to her underwear? I’m not objecting to the violence as I don’t doubt this is something that would be inflicted on a person in her position, but I feel like this was an unnecessary sexualization of violence.
- Being the President’s national security advisor in a movie like this is like being a red shirt in Star Trek: you’re always going to end up dead, especially after you announce your title. Same thing happens to that guy in Air Force One. “Your national security advisor has just been executed. He was a very good negotiator: he just bought you another half hour.” Zing, Ivan!
- I have seen JFK so many times now that I forgot Lee Harvey Oswald does not actually look like Gary Oldman. This movie loses points for subscribing to the lone gunman in the book depository theory, though.
- I would not jump out of a helicopter and into the Potomac in the middle of winter.
- I think I really like Chiwetel Ejiofor.
- For the first time in a long time, the obvious set up for possible sequels didn’t bother me, perhaps because this is also the first time in a long time that the movie meant to launch the sequels did not exist solely for the purpose of creating a franchise. Who knew it paid to make the first movie watchable? I’d watch Angelina Jolie in another Salt movie, no question.
Salt
Holy crap I love Cold War political intrigue!
IMDB Plot Synopsis As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy.
Yes to #10. I’m going to watch this weekend and I like hearing that it’s going to wall-to-wall action.
#6 – yes, especially because it was so out of character for the rest of the film
#10 – yes you do!
#6 – I mean yes I agree with your skepticism, not yes it was necessary