Salt
2010
**
Director: Phillip Noyce
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski, August Diehl, Hunt Block, Andre Braugher, Olek Krupa
When CIA operative Evelyn Salt is implicated as one the Russian sleeper agents planted in the U.S. 20 odd years ago, she goes on the run. But will she try to clear her name or carry out her mission? Kurt Wimmer's script lifts the central conceit directly from the Cold War conspiracy thrillers such as The Manchurian Candidate and Telefon (1977), and adds a female version of Jason Bourne in the lead. The sum of these parts is a derivative and preposterous action drama, which feels about 25 years behind its time. After an intriguing first 15 minutes, the film throws all credibility out the window. The cartoonish action scenes take over and the plot twists and turns for the hell of it. Come the end, nothing in the story bears scrutiny.
