Friday, August 6, 2010

Salt doesn't pass the "Girl" test


Went and saw SALT quite awhile ago, but I am just now getting around to posting.
Salt is getting quite the hype- Angelina Jolie- arguable the most beautiful women in the world also establishing herself as well..."bad ass". Women are going to watch it for one reason and well, men for another.
Angelina graced the August cover of Vanity Fair


and gave an interesting interview taking a break from filming her new movie, the Tourist, with Johnny Depp in Venice Italy. The most interesting tidbit is that she was asked to be a "Bond Girl" and turned it down- telling them to talk to her when she could "Be Bond"....
All this seems like we can declare-"Let's strike one up for women all over the world- " but I think Salt is really a "chameleon of a Women's Movie" really.
For one it really doesn't have much of a plot- there are not a lot of twist and turns, it is pretty straight forward- Salt is an agent, is reveled as a mole, escapes to defend herself and save her husband, doesn't and then in revenge goes after the Russian bad guys. There is little depth to this movie. Not like the Bourne franchise or the New Bond franchise- where the hero is imperfect and struggles with not just the outer bad guys but the inner demons-
I can't think of a movie Angelina Jolie is in where imperfection is part of her character- now I have only her action movies- Tomb Raiders, Mr. and Mrs. Smtih- where Brad Pitt was loveable in all his imperfections.
Not a real women, but a demi god- is one strike against this movie-
-another is an interesting test I discovered over on Women and Hollywood blog- I call it the "Girl Test" , but officially it is

BECHDEL TEST

 /bech·del test/n.

1. It has to have at least two women in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something besides a man

If you go to the Bechdel site, you will be amazed about how many movies fail to pass- now there is many arguments about this- women's place in film and I am sure I plus others will hit on them periodically- but I do just find it very interesting and SALT definitely does not pass- though you could count the lady behind the counter or the girl she gives the dog to.

 

 

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