The Salton Sea | Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Goldberg

The Salton Sea | Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Goldberg | A Great Drug Movie and Just a Great Film All Around

DVDs:

The Salton Sea

	The Salton Sea Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Goldberg Warner Home Video, 2002 average customer review:based on 104 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Wonderfully bizarre thriller

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

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A Great Drug Movie and Just a Great Film All Around

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.

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A bizzar trip of a person seeking closure&absoloution

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.

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Rough Sea

It's difficult to review "The Salton Sea" because it is a film that is intricately plotted with a story that has enough twists that you run the risk of spoiling for the uninitiated. Credit director D.J. Caruso and scriptwiter Tony Gayton for this compelling film set predominately in the seamy milieu of the drug world. For about the first half of the film I thought this was a series of imaginative but fragmented segments that didn't seem to be going anywhere. It's at this point that the different story threads start to cohere and the film becomes compelling. The ensemble work of the film's cast is great led by Val Kilmer as Danny Parker, jazz musician/drug addict/police informant/etc. Kilmer does not overplay the part and strikes just the right tone. Vincent D'Onofrio is absolutely terrifying as Pooh Bear, a drug dealer who lost his nose from imbibing in his own product. The always good Peter Sarsgaard does a nice turn as Danny's fellow druggie. Anthony LaPaglia and Doug Hutchison do good work as a pair of sleazy narcs. This is not a film that is easy to watch at times but if you can navigate the rough parts you will find a rewarding viewing experience.

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Much better than average neo-noir, beatifully shot.

Val Kilmer gives us Tom Van Allen, a jazz musician embarked on a quest through the world of methamphetamine dealers, users and other predators. Kilmer is wonderful, as usual, in this alternately harrowing and hilarious post-Pulp Fiction noir thriller.

The whole cast is pretty wonderful as well. I especially enjoyed Vincent D'Onofrio as an eccentric drug dealer who has clearly been too long in the high desert.

The real standout element of the film, however, is the photography by Amir Mokri. Unlike some neo-noir, Mokri and director D.J. Caruso effectively balance high-key daytime shots with the darker interior and night shots, and all of them are excellently done.

The best elements of the screenplay are the many funny scenes, including a might-have-been heist gone wrong, a recreation of the JFK assassination, and a wonderful update of the "Easy Andy" scene from Taxi Driver.

The Salton Sea is worth seeing for fans of Kilmer, noir or both.

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