The Salton Sea

Rating:
Summary: A Great Drug Movie and Just a Great Film All Around
Review: The director of "Taking Lives" and the writer of "Murder By Numbers" have made a movie that has surpassed both of those films. "The Salton Sea" is a terrific movie with some stellar performances by everyone. Val Kilmer recently made a drug movie called "Wonderland" and while I did like the movie, this film I think is quite possibly Kilmers best film. Kilmer plays Danny.
Danny is a lot of things. Tweaker, snitch, and trumpet player?
Danny basically leads a double life. For this however he has a good reason. I don't want to tell you the reason and I hate how Amazon kind of tells you, cause I consider that like revealing the twist in "The Sixth Sense." Anyway, Danny hangs out with his friend Jimmy (Peter Sarsgaard) at crack houses and then reports
them to the cops (Anthony LaPaglia and that dude from "The Green Mile"). While trying to make a drug deal by himself with the sadistic, noseless Pooh Bear (Vincent D'Onofrio, who looks like he's having fun) the cops find out and all of Dannys secrets may be revealed. The many twists that this movie has are terrific and the movie unfolded nicely. Another thing I noticed is that this movie was a lot better than most drug films that are being released today. I think this film was better than the movie "Traffic" which won 4 Oscars. Kilmer, who I dislike, was terrific and could become one of my favorite actors. A.

Rating:
Summary: Val Kilmer Does It...Again!
Review: I agree with Linda in her review.
How does Kilmer always end up turning out such great performances? His acting in this is downright frighteningly realistic.
I disagree with another reviewer who wrote that the scenes were good and the story not so good. The story was good if not a bit campy at the end, even though the twists and turns keep the viewer following intensely. All my friends liked it. I enjoyed it immensely. But, I'm dark.
One point I'd like to make is that I personally find the idea of infiltrating the seedy underworld of speed freaks to find back door revenge by becomming a tweeker a bit hard to swallow. Interesting story idea, though. I'd be willing to bet a lot of loadies out there have had weird ideas of revenge run through their heads, just like they see the skull and crossbones whenever they see a cop. It never really owkrs out, though-their brains are too fried from their bad habit.
The bad cop theme was all too cool and too real. I have no doubt many cops throughout the world have turned to the dark side. This part of the story is real.
Some of the scenes I would have to fault, if there is anything lacking in this film. Most of the scenes were great, but there were a few that maybe shouldn't have been in there at all-I'd have to cite the "celebrity stool robbing" scene as out of place. It had little to no relevance to the plot or story at all. It seemed to be there to add another morsel of dark Pulp Fiction/Trainspotting style humor to an already "tweeked out" board of scenes.
This movie is a pure tragedy, not a tragedy/comedy, and that scene robbed from the mood. It was out of place. Take that out and I might have given it a 5.

Rating:
Summary: A bizzar trip of a person seeking closure&absoloution
Review: This is one of my favorite Val Kilmer flims.Like I said, throughout this film it is a bizzar journey of speed addic Danny Parker.On the outside Danny Parker is a speed addic,but internally,his personality and life experiences unfold in layers like an onion.Some people watching this movie won't like it,or understand it.They will tend to focus on the obvious main points,and miss everything else.This film is about more than speed,and about much more than your average revenge flic.The story and characters throughout the film are richly portrayed, you can't help but get "sucked in".This movie is about closure,about moving on to a new life and putting your demons behind you.You will enjoy the journey this film takes you on,and in the end you will have a feeling of euphoria wondering if what thought you saw,is what you saw,and want to watch it again.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully bizarre thriller
Review: I despise most thrillers...some serial killer who won't be apprehended until the conclusion of the film versus the cop who's smarter than the entire police force put together but yet no one will beleive him. That's why I'm so happy when a movie like The Salton Sea comes along, a movie that's original and engaging, full of colorful characters and skillfully directed.

The story of a man going after his wife's killers is as old as the hills, but what makes this film so good is that we're never really sure what's happening and why. Moreover, the characters we're introduced to are very orginal and always interesting, from the fast-talking no-nonsense arms dealer to the obese drug dealer with no nose, a ferocious pet badger with a taste for human flesh, and attention to detail when re-enacting the JFK assasination with pigeons and a remote-controlled car.

The conclusion is good, the direction brilliant, the dark humor effective, and the acting solid all around. 8.5/10

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Film
Review: I first watched this movie because nothing else was on TV and I've always been a fan of Val Kilmer... and I'm SO glad I did. This film is one of the best I've seen in a LONG time. Val Kilmer is brillant in this movie.

I don't want to give any of the plot away - because I got the pleasure of watching this movie without any idea of what is was about - and I think that made it even better. The characters in this movie make you want to hit something, cry, scream, and just generally draw you in. You end up caring what happens to these people.

It also gives an interesting view into the lives of drug addicts and bad cops. The film's take on modern culture is an intriguing one, and I'd recommend this film for just that reason if nothing else.

Give the movie a shot - you'll be happy you did.

Rating:
Summary: Contemporary Film-Noir...
Review: The story in Salton Sea is developed around the mystery of Danny Parker (Val Kilmer), a saxophone playing drug addict, who is informing the police on behalf of his own personal interests. As the story unfolds the mystery is drawn into daylight and another problem is presented to Danny where he must face the past and future in a moment of truth. Salton Sea is a modern film-noir that offers a solid performance by the cast and a respectable cinematic experience with both drama and suspense.