I definitely had to check out the hype the movie created and boy oh boy, was I pleased that I didn't waste my R8.50 on a discounted Tuesday movie night.
Directed by Phillip Noyce, the movie centres around Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie), who is apparently a Russian spy.
Evelyn works for the CIA and interrogates a detained Russian defector, Orlov, who tells her about "Day X", an operation organised by a powerful Russian since the Cold War, which will lead to the destruction of the United States. Orlov mentions that at the funeral of the late Vice President in New York City, the visiting Russian President will be killed by a Russian spy called Evelyn Salt. Salt is immediately shaken at such an insinuation and accusation, and tells Orlov that she is Evelyn Salt. The movie's tagline, who is salt, ties in neatly with the character and the action in the movie because when the movie starts, you think you know this woman but as it continues, you start thinking otherwise!
After the accusation by Orlov that Evelyn Salt will assasinate the Russian President, Salt attempts to contact her husband Mike, a German arachnologist, fearing for his safety. Meanwhile, Orlov escapes from custody that boasts state-of-the-art security system, prompting Salt to escape causing the CIA to think she is a spy. She flees to her apartment and finds her husband missing. Salt resumes and grabs essentials as well as a venomous spider. After barely escaping a highway pursuit, Salt takes a bus to New York City. The next morning, she sneaks into the heavily guarded St Bartholomew's Church where the Vice President's funeral is being held and shoots the Russian President. She then encounters Peabody where she surrenders but escapes the NYPD.
Throughout th entire 100 minutes, I coouldn't help by admire Jolie's beautiful lips and her body frame. She delivers an electrifying perfomance which I think it's a first from a female film actress. While there is nothing new about the movie's storyline and direction as it's clearly inspired by the Bourne Ultimatum starring Matt Damon, the movie will rake in millions or dlollars at the box office (So far it earned 11 million US dollars in the United States) just because Angie is in it. Her superior, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who played Thabo Mbeki in the End game, thinks he knows who Salt is but essentially he has no idea who she is.
The events that follow after Salt's escape are a shocking truth of who she is and you can't help but side with her on the things she does. This is one of those few movies that will appeal to the new generation of movie-goers across all ages. The background of the movie is cleverly plotted and when everything later happens, it all makes sense because of what you saw ealier.
The Hollyhood rumour mill has it that the role played by Jolie was originally earmarked for Tom Cruise but he refused to play the role as there were moolah disagreements and when Joli showed interest, the script was slightly changed to suit a female actress and I liked the part when she took her panties to blind a CCTV at the CIA during her escape.
I also loved the part when she transformed into a man, changed her hairstyle so she can enter the White House in an attempt to kill the US president. If you are not sure whether to watch this movie or not, you better watch it as the action is just out of this world. Jolie does building jumping stunts and runs on the highway while dodging bullets.
I can write full dissertation on how the movie ends because I feel the producers edited out vital scenes that would have at least made us see what salt's mission and ambition was. The movie is enjoyable nonetheless.