SALT Movie Review:

"Who is Salt?" seems like a strange question for an action/thriller/crime/mystery movie to have as its tagline, but as viewers soon discover, this prompt is the driving force of the film's plot. The movie, directed by Phillip Noyce, is about a highly-respected CIA agent named Evelyn Salt (played by Angelina Jolie) who, out of nowhere, is accused by a Russian defector, Orlov (Daniel Olbrychski), of being a Russian spy among several other janissaries trained since childhood for "unbreakable" loyalty to the Soviet Union and planted since the Cold War as part of a secret operation known as "Day X" to destroy the United States. According to Orlov, the Russian president would be assassinated during his forthcoming visit to New York City at the funeral of the U.S. Vice President. The assassin – he names – is Evelyn Salt. Shaken by the accusation and fearing the safety of her beloved husband, a German entomologist named Mike Krause (August Diehl), Evelyn goes on the run. Her boss, Ted Winter (Liev Schreiber), refuses to believe that she is a double agent, but her unanticipated actions begin to raise misgivings among her peers, especially an interfering agent named Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Through all the confusion of seemingly contradictory actions, viewers are thrown into wondering, "Just who is Evelyn Salt and what is she planning?"

As in Amy Tan's A Bonesetter’s Daughter (BSD), the writers of SALT bring old memories bubbling to the surface to give glimpses into the characters’ feelings and build suspense to the storyline. Secrets from the past intrigue audiences in the present, and we see disconnects between cultures, whether it be Chinese-American in BSD or Russian-American in SALT. In BSD, LuLing grew up in China before coming to live in America where she kept most of her old values. The question of SALT is whether Evelyn was raised in Russia for the sole purpose of "Day X" to revive the Soviet Union and destroy the United States, as she was accused, and if so, whether she still held the same brainwashed mentality. In the BSD, the truth behind LuLing's claims of her family history is questioned by her daughter as she ages with dementia and does strange actions. Similarly, the question of Evelyn's loyalty is raised by those closest to her, as viewers see her race down city streets, jump over cars on the freeway to avoid the CIA tailing her, set decoys on subways in New York, smuggle onto a boat to Russia, bewilder her colleagues, disguise several times to elude capture, and perform spectacular feats. Another similarity between the BSD and SALT are the secrets – never spoken, but never to be forgotten –embedded within the multifaceted storyline, giving depth to their main characters. Is Evelyn being framed or is she really secretly a Russian mole, planted by the Soviet Union since the 1970s? If so, did her years of freedom living in America change her view?

Furthermore, the common literary elements of tone, foreshadowing, and perspective are executed brilliantly in the film. The film begins after a brief prelude with the interrogation of the Russian defector and his accusations, followed by a flee-and-chase scheme, setting the tone for mystery and action. A series of flashbacks into Evelyn's past – in my opinion, the most interesting aspect of the movie – foreshadow and gradually reveal stark plot twists and give insight into her puzzling character. For instance, two years previously, Evelyn Salt was captured and tortured in North Korea. She was going to be left there to die as an expendable, but it was Mike who intervened and pressured the U.S. government to make a swap to bring her home. In present-day, the same Mike is missing, and Evelyn's aim is to rescue him, even if it means outdoing both the CIA and the KGB. The point of view of the movie is another interesting facet of the film. In BSD, the perspective changes with the prologue and written memoirs from LuLing but it is primarily told in third-person. If SALT were a novel, it would similarly be largely in third-person as well, following a central character for some time but not omniscient or all-knowing of the character’s thoughts. Up until the middle-end of the film, viewers are still unsure of Evelyn's mindset, largely due to her commendable mastery over her emotions and sparing dialogue.

As for criticism, there is little to say about the great cinematography, casting, and soundtrack. Done without CGI, the vivid action scenes – with cars flipping over, for instance –looked pretty cool. These elements fit nicely together, capturing the audience’s attention. However, one negative to be noted was that the first half of the movie was very confusing. There seemed to be too many gaps needed to be filled in and a lot of contradictory actions. Often it was difficult to see where the story was heading or what exactly the director was trying to get at. About an hour into the film, however, the climax, falling action, and resolution, combined with deftly woven literary elements smoothed it adequately together. Themes similar to that of The Bonesetter’s Daughter – cultural clashes and secrets haunting the present – are evident, especially as the storyline progresses. Nothing is really as it seems until the very end, which adds a bonus to the movie for a surprising plot twist and explanation of events that were perplexing to the audience before. This sometimes confusing – though overall entertaining – film deserves a 7/10, and I would recommend SALT to those that enjoy fast-paced, mystery, and action movies.