Salt
2010 · Directed by Phillip Noyce
Original language: English
- action
- mystery
- thriller
The story
As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt swore an oath to duty, honor, and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a Russian defector accuses her of being a Russian sleeper spy. She goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture, protect her husband, and stay one step ahead of her colleagues at the CIA. Her efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: "Who is Salt?"
What it’s like
Hard, glossy digital cinematography: cool steel-blue and grey palettes in Washington and Manhattan, with fluorescent government corridors and rain-slicked streets lit by sodium and headlight glare, and the occasional warmer domestic interior that feels briefly out of place. The camera is restless and kinetic, with handheld tracking through crowds, quick whip pans, and close framing on Angelina Jolie's face during chases and interrogations, while the action sequences are edited in tight, sharp cuts rather than long takes. The score is a driving electronic pulse with percussive stings that keep the tension ticking over, and the soundscape is full of traffic, sirens, and gunfire rather than quiet. Vibe: taut, cold, high-gloss paranoia. It suits a Friday night with the lights off, a restless evening when you want to be held in suspense, or a long-haul flight. The pacing is relentless and the register is tense and adrenaline-driven, with an arc about a woman whose loyalty is questioned and who must keep reinventing herself under pressure. Intensity is considerable: frequent gunfights, hand-to-hand fights, car crashes, and a few brutal moments of physical injury, with some blood but no sustained gore, and a sense of menace and betrayal throughout. Not suited to anyone seeking something gentle. For people who enjoy spy thrillers with a dose of identity puzzle and a relentless, physical heroine.
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