14 July 2012

Next time I say let's go someplace like Australia . . .

Savages

Crit
Much of what I liked about yesterday's film was its messiness, its asymmetry, its unpredictability. Oliver Stone's new one goes the opposite direction, with clockwork symmetry, neat plotlines, and, until a really cheesy gimmick at the end, a clear sense of where we're going next and where we'll finish up.

O[phelia] (Blake Lively) lives an idyllic California beach life with her bifurcated soul's two soulmates, Yinnish Iraq and Afghanistan vet Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and Yangish global philanthropist Ben (Aaron Johnson), who also love each other so are fine with sharing her. Their lavish lifestyle is supported by the victimless crime of growing and selling shitloads of awesome grass (none of the 3 willingly indulges in anything stronger throughout), and everything would be fine if the mean old Mexican drug cartels would just live and let live. But guess what: they don't.

As usual, Benicio Del Toro steals the show, as a very bad man, lieutenant to Salma Hayek's druglady.
Trailers

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