2012: The Year in Film: "Savages" Review.

So it's been so long since Oliver Stone has made a film (I never saw the sequel to Wall St...) that I've never really had a chance to discuss my appreciation of him as a filmmaker on this blog before. He is a true, blue filmmaker.  A true artist.  He hasn't hit on every one of his films, not by a long shot, but he's ambitious, even audacious, and has a vision as a filmmaker that's not afraid to challenge the establishment that is shared by very, very few in the mainstream.   As a writer/director, he's experienced success and created a filmography that's nearly unparalleled in Hollywood today.  It's easy to forget, but we're talking about a guy who wrote and directed Platoon, easily one of the top 2 or 3 war movies and a top 25ish movie of all time, JFK, Born on the Fourth of July, Wall Street, Nixon, Any Given Sunday and The Doors.  NO BIG DEAL.  Oh, and he wrote a little movie called "Scarface", which for all its flaws is undoubtedly an important film.  Long story short, Oliver Stone is a legitimately important filmmaker, who despite a faded star as of late (the extremely flawed theatrical release of "Alexander", "W" and "Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps", which is a mediocre shadow of the first entrant in the series at best constitute his output over the last decade) is still someone worth paying attention to.

"Savages" is an adaptation of a 2010 novel by Don Winslow.  The plot follows best friends Ben (Aaron Johnson) and Chon (Taylor Kitsch), who have created a marijuana empire in Southern California.  Ben, who has a botany degree from Cal, and Chon, who is an ex-Navy SEAL fresh from the Middle East, have combined their talents and know-how to create a thriving business that's run much like a legitimate enterprise, and has eliminated much of the dirty work from the drug trade by operating like a wholesaler.  They're rich kids from Southern California, and enjoy the lifestyle that comes along with their status, including a common girlfriend, "O" (Blake Lively).  Their dream life faces a serious challenge when the cartel from Baja Mexico comes north to challenge them.  The conflict that results forms the rest of the film... as the awful violence that characterizes the drug trade south of the border forces the California kids to respond in kind... living up to the title in the process.

First, the good: Kitsch and Johnson are great. I'm glad that Taylor Kitsch has finally delivered a top-notch performance in a film after a 2012 that's been iffy at best from a career standpoint (John Carter, Battleship) and this is how he should be used in the future.. not asked to do too much heavy lifting himself, but rather allowed to brood and chew scenery along with other actors. He simmers as the angry and violent Chon, a man eager to resort to violence and who revels in its many applications. Johnson, most memorable as the title character in "Kick-Ass" is unrecognizable as the idealistic and naive Ben. At age 22, he's definitely an actor to watch, as from the look of things he should be around for quite some time. Benecio Del Toro is great as cartel enforcer Lado, a man without a soul, remorse, mercy, etc., etc. and Del Toro invests him with a savagery that's reminiscent of Anton Chigur of "No Country For Old Men". Travolta is good, as he tends to be in these sort of roles, relishing the wise-ass crooked DEA agent. Salma Hayek is strong as well as Elena, head of the Cartel and quite savage in her own right, but also conflicted and layered. In addition, I love the plot to this movie. The story is damn worth telling and if told a little differently, could have easily wound up as a modern day classic. And let's not forget that Oliver Stone is an artist. Even amongst scenes of horrific violence there is a certain beauty, and when he lets his flair for the visual rise to the surface there are some beautiful scenes.

The bad: Blake Lively is a waste of space in this flick. Now some of it is certainly her character.. she's supposed to be a directionless trust fund baby just sort of drifting through life spending money and seeking pleasure.. but she felt flat and empty. Oh, and the line "I had orgasms, Chon had wargasms" exists in this movie. ... which is unbelievably awful. I had problems with the delivery of the flick as well, I know what they were trying to do - juxtaposing the beauty of southern California with the savagery of the international drug trade, but the whole endeavor felt shiny and glossed over and packaged rather than gritty and real. I feel that given the subject matter, a turn towards the dark and hard-boiled would have made this flick potentially a classic. In addition, the actual depiction of some of the violence is a little unnecessary, distracting, and over the top.

All in all, this is a flick that looks great, features a couple of stand out performances and memorable scenes, has a great plot and is well worth a watch. Unfortunately, it is TOO bombastic and over the top to really hit home. Oliver Stone aimed for "Traffic" and hit something more action-ey and traditional. Plus, the ending? Oooof. This flick is an 8 with a better ending. Ultimately, well worth a watch, but too heavily flawed to approach greatness.

7/10