trailer break: ‘Salt’

I think the Russian spy thing still has some relevance to the times with the Alexander Litvinenko murder. Though with Jolie's red-blooded American accent I find it difficult to believe her character would still consider herself "Russian" even if she was born there.

What intrigue's me about Salt is that it was originally a Tom Cruise movie. He backed out (or was dropped, can't remember), and they gave the role to Jolie instead. I wonder if this is the first time in Hollywood history where the lead character in an action-thriller was changed from a man to a woman? I just hope Jolie is treated as an action star instead of male-gaze eye candy like she was in the silly Tomb Raider movies and Wanted.

Looks like Mr. Cruise traded "Salt" for "Knight and Day". Still, the next thing I want to see Cruise in is a Les Grossman story.

When I first heard about Salt a few weeks back, the link said nothing about story or settings. While waiting for the trailer to begin, for a few shining moments I was able to hope somebody had adapted the thought-provoking and action-rich science fiction novel by Jeremy Page into a major Hollywood production.

And so, while I wish every success to Jolie, Ejiofor, Schreiber, et al, it's going to be tough for even their stellar acting skills to overcome my disappointment upon learning what their movie was really about.

What a pity it's Jolie instead of someone who can act and who isn't a creature of the plastic surgeon's art.

Also, what a pity that one of the very few lines the character gets that aren't in response to someone else has to do with her husband. Because heaven forbid a woman define herself other than in reference to a man.

Alli, not Hollywood, but it's strongly rumoured that Cathy Gale in The Avengers inherited several scripts that had been written for a male sidekick.