By:   Movie Critic-guest contributor

Ever since James Bond came on the scene spy movies have been popular.  Kids would dream of being undercover agents trying to save the country from foreign invaders.  In James Bond’s case it was the fun gadgets, the quirky comments, and his way with the ladies that made him who he was.  When Jason Bourne came on the scene he added a new element, action.  Well choreographed fights and hard hitting action caught your eye.  It also added a level of mystery that kept you guessing as to what Jason Bourne had done or was going to do.  In both cases however there was never any doubt as to if they were good guys or bad guys.  Salt has changed things again.  Not only does it bring a female spy into the mix, but throughout the movie it makes you question her motives and wonder who she is.

Salt opens with Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie of Tomb Raider and Wanted) held captive in North Korea and being tortured.  They are trying to get her to admit her true identity, but she refuses and continues to claim that she works for a fuel company.  Flash forward and the American government has come for her to take her home.  A few months go by, and Salt finds herself back in her old job, working for the CIA.  One of her duties is to talk to a Russian defector who came in off the streets and turned himself in, and he tells her that she is a mole working for the Russians.  She denies the claim, but her superiors have to take the information seriously and attempt to detain her.   She breaks free and goes on the run.  Chasing her are two CIA agents Peabody (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor of 2012 and Serenity) and Ted Winter (played by Liev Schreiber of Wolverine: Origins and Repo Men) who are constantly trying to figure out whether the Russian defector was telling the truth about Salt.  It’s a question you’ll be asking yourself until the final scene when the truth is finally revealed.

The promotional campaign for Salt surrounded the words ‘Who is Salt’, and throughout the movie you’ll find yourself asking the same question.  It’s a perfect way to describe the movie as well, because it’s very unclear for most of it and you’ll change your mind with every new thing that is added.  Sometimes Salt seems to be concerned about her husband, and at other times she seems like she’s doing exactly what the Russian Defector told her she’d be doing.  Angelina Jolie is in great shape, and plays this role to a tee.  She keeps you guessing as to what her true motive is.  The action is pulse pounding, and from the moment Salt starts running it almost never slows down.  One of the best things about the movie as well, is that if you pay attention during the movie to the little things that happen you’ll find clues to the answers of Salt’s true identity.

So who is Salt?  You’ll find out by the end.  It’s not a movie everyone will enjoy simply because at times you’re not sure if you are watching a good guy or a bad guy.  It blurs the boundaries.  Give it a chance though, because it won’t disappoint, even when it seems like it might.  Female action stars are hard to come by and even harder to sell, but Angelina Jolie continues to do it better than most.  She’s got the right charisma, the right look, and the right attitude.  This is one of her best in the genre.