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Angelina Jolie. Twists and turns. Spy thriller. Salt is no game changer, but this one-woman show still delivers the thrills.
By Anne John
Phillip Noyce’s Salt starring Angelina Jolie in the title role of Evelyn Salt is a power-packed movie to satisfy your thirst for action thrillers. The story revolves around an undercover CIA operative whose already dangerous double-life gets even more treacherous, when she is accused of being a Russian agent on a mission to destroy America.
Though Salt initially denies the charges, an element of mystery is added when she suddenly goes on the run, contributing to the law enforcers’ (and our) worst suspicions. On the other hand, there are some pieces which do not exactly fall into place in this jig-saw puzzle, thereby adding to the confusion.
‘Who Is Salt?’ the movie’s tagline asks and the storyline plays a guessing game, keeping us at the edge of our seats.
There are intriguing twists and turns, and the suspense is well-maintained till the climax when all questions are answered. Playing a stylish and tough, no-nonsense woman who is willing to fight and bull-doze her way through, is nothing new to Jolie and she slips into this role with ease, looking superbly fit, as always. She receives ample support from the rest of the cast which includes notably, August Diehl as Salt’s arachnologist husband, Liev Schreiber as her friend and colleague Ted Winter and Chiwetel Ejiofer as Peabody the officer in hot pursuit of Salt.
The screenplay is fast and well-paced, complimented by a racy and upbeat soundtrack. Energetic chases, well-executed stunt sequences and explosive gunfights are strewn around generously and here Jolie’s dynamism and vigour comes to the fore.
Of course, the basic story itself is only a variation of the innumerable espionage movies that Hollywood has produced so far. Don’t probe too deeply or reason too much and don’t expect anything radically different or amazingly innovative here. The focus seems to have been on developing a fun, entertaining and exciting flick, while not dwelling too much on moral dilemmas, rational loopholes or practical arguments. On that count, Salt delivers. It is a strong, all-out one-woman show which Jolie pulls off effectively, with her signature flair and panache.
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Dushyanta clearly remembered everything. But he didn't have any intention to accept a poor woman from a remote hermitage as his wife and her son as theirs.
Dushyanta clearly remembered everything. But he didn’t have any intention to accept a poor woman from a remote hermitage as his wife and her son as theirs.
She sat motionless on the royal bed, her knees drawn up to her chin, staring vacantly outside the palace window.
She was sheathed in exquisite scarlet red silk, shot through with golden threads forming intricate traditional patterns. Chests of gems and jewellery were strewn all over the bed. The maids were fussing over whether a diamond-studded necklace would suit their queen or a gold choker would look better. Another younger maid was arranging her tresses in a coiffeur.
Actor Siddharth sent out a distasteful tweet in response to a tweet by Saina Nehwal, in what he thought were clever words, but this slur on any woman is not acceptable.
Trust me when I say I’ve run out of patience in stopping myself from calling this ‘liberal’, self-proclaimed feminist actor out umpteen times in the past.
Let me count them out for you.
Try your hand at Bengali cuisine with this delicious vegetarian recipe for Matarshutir Kachuri and Aloo Dum Bengali style.
By Somali Roy
Every year, as we sunk deep into the throes of winter, my mother announced Matarshutir Kachuri for dinner – a seasonal specialty of our Bengali cuisine. And it was special because the whole family chipped in. Later when we gathered around the table and tore apart gossamer discs of fried dough, the green pea stuffing lay exposed and the steam that was trapped inside smelled of roasted cumin and almost burnt the tip of our nose. (more…)
Do “modern” Indian women cook? Yes we do – but mind you, only if we want to!
Does the “modern” Indian woman cook? Yes we do – but mind you, only if we want to!
“Will I be fine tomorrow?” asks my neighbour when I hand him a bowl of soup that I’ve just made from scratch.