Angelina Jolie carries “Salt” on her back, and she nearly breaks it. She plays Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent whose life falls apart after a Russian diplomat tries to kill her in a New York City park. Within hours, she’s running from the agency that trained her, hunted by everyone who once trusted her, and trying to prove she’s still the American she claims to be.
The film wants to be a pulse-pounding spy thriller, and for stretches it gets there. For stretches it doesn’t. What separates the two is Jolie’s commitment and the script’s willingness to let her character breathe.
Trailer, via Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The Setup
The setup is simple and effective. Salt is questioned about a terrorist attack, and her answers don’t add up. Then the diplomat arrives, and everything changes. The film spends its first act building tension through questions, not explosions, and that restraint pays off.
Jolie sells the fear and the confusion. She’s not a cold agent here; she’s a woman scrambling to keep her identity intact while the world around her shifts. The movie leans on that performance more than any clever plot device, and it mostly works.
Where It Falls Apart
The middle section drags. Once Salt escapes, the film settles into a pattern of chase scenes and set pieces that repeat themselves. A helicopter chase, a car chase, a foot chase — the difference between them narrows until the action starts to feel like filler.
The villain, played by Ludivine Sagnier, gets less to do. Her role is thin, and the film doesn’t give her enough room to make the twist land. The twist itself is fine — it just needs better execution.
The pacing suffers in the second half. Scenes meant to build suspense lose their urgency in the editing, and the film rushes toward a finale that feels rushed rather than earned.
The Good Stuff
- Angelina Jolie’s performance anchors the whole picture.
- The early questioning scenes are tense and well-written.
- The New York locations look great, especially the park scene.
- The sound design is sharp, making quieter moments land.
- The final act delivers a payoff, even if the road to get there is bumpy.
Those five elements are why “Salt” holds together at all. Without them, the film would collapse entirely.
Key Facts
- Director: Phillip Noyce
- Lead: Angelina Jolie as Evelyn Salt
- Running time: 109 minutes
- Release year: 2010
- Score: 6.5 out of 10
“Salt” is a mixed bag, and it knows it. The film is aware of its own excesses, which makes the failures sting less. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s not a failure either.
The best parts are the ones that slow down and let Jolie do her work. The worst parts are the ones that rush forward and forget why anyone wanted to watch. The film is a reminder that a strong lead can carry a flawed script, but even a strong lead can’t save a script that refuses to pace itself.
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