Counter-espionage is always a good subject for books and movies. Salt, starring Angelina Jolie, takes a break from the Islamic jihadists and goes back to the topic of the Russian infiltration of the CIA in a contemporary setting. Filled with difficult stunts, hand-to-hand combat between one tough female operative against aggressive members of a uniquely trained Russian spy ring, and just enough specific acts to tempt you to believe Evelyn Salt is not who she appears to be, this story offers intense action with a plot that lets you know this unseen war we fight will never be over—and potentially this single film could be the beginning of a Jason Bourne type series.
Angelina Jolie is a self-professed lover of action roles, doing as many of her own stunts as is physically possible—and safe—for her, and it’s hard to imagine any big screen actress who can top her in them. I thought the specifics of her action scenes were done exceptionally well, especially some of the scenes involving various trucks on a freeway. In real life a gun-toting momma she’s not afraid to use her firearms to protect her family. This little trivia detail endears her to me.
The film opens with a torture scene in North Korea two years prior to the main story. Unbelievably to a fellow operative who makes the exchange, Salt is traded for a Korean prisoner and released due to the efforts of her husband, a German-bred world-renowned scholar on arachnids of all things.
Through a brief scene of the couple at their apartment before Evelyn heads to work and at work as she struggles to learn to fold a napkin for a special dinner she’s planning with her husband, we get to see her love and devotion to him. Flashbacks to snippets of their meeting and their marriage add to the picture of their relationship. Just before she and her co-worker are readying themselves to leave work, an older Russian does a walk-in to the CIA, and Salt is delayed to interrogate him. It ends badly with Salt on the run because of this old spy’s revelation. She knows they’ve got her husband and nothing is going to stop her from finding him before they kill him.
Finding her husband and proving her identity consume the final hour of this exciting film. I found Salt worthy of a last minute Christmas gift, and we’ll watch it many more times in the near future. Jolie is clearly the star of this film, and she pulls it off sensationally. Highly recommended to those who love thrillers.
Father, only you know Angelina’s heart condition. I pray the Holy Spirit would minister to her in all His amazing ways, ushering her into the true love of Jesus. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.