The Salton Sea Reviews

• The Salton Sea

  
  By A2RQQGIP482EDJ on 2002-08-06
  Amazon, you need a sixth star to do full justice to this edgy, innovative masterpiece of ensemble acting. That lead actor Val Kilmer can shine so brilliantly amidst the endless stream of first rate supporting actors proves he is not only an actor of supreme ability, but a catalyst who has brought about small miracles in the roles of, among others, Sarsgaard, Wong, D'Onofrio, Plummer, Unger, Guzman --well the list is long and simply mind-boggling. The film was released in only four or five major cities and dropped. How the producers of this film could have been so dense in promoting it is beyond my scope of understanding. No doubt Kilmer will once again be passed over at Oscar time (remember Tombstone? The Doors? How about Heat?) but if making good films is his real source of satisfaction, he should be very proud of this film. His acting depicts a range of human emotions in this film that will leave you breathless.
  Do yourself a favor and see this movie. Often.
  
  

• Weird, grotesque and unpleasant. I thought it was great!

  
  By A17FLA8HQOFVIG on 2003-11-07
  This 2002 film is a rather weird and grotesque story set in the world of drugs. Val Kilmer is cast as a former trumpet player on a downward drug spiral. He's a middleman dealer, a police informant and a speed freak himself. The drug scenes are lurid and explicit. And the violence never stops. It's also a roller coaster ride for the audience, with a complicated plot that finally makes sense. There are also special effects and moments to make me cringe.

  Vincent D'Onofrio is cast as a demented drug dealer who has lost his nose due to his habit. He's a sadist who boasts about torturing people who have tried to scam him and he puts Val Kilmer through some horrible moments. There's double crossing going on of course, and even triple crossing. This makes the plot rather interesting as our perception of our hero changes as the film moves along.

  It's all a strange and unpleasant trip but I must give credit to fine performances and excellent and edgy directing. I enjoyed it but do stay away if you're squeamish in any way and don't want to be haunted by nightmarish images. Recommended only for the adventurous few.
  
  

• dark comic noir-thriller about loss and redemption.

  
  By A3KWYFQ2H453IA on 2002-04-29
  A super stylized picture that starts off in the netherworld of the "tweaker" that turns into a Memento-like noir pic.
  
  In this film Val Kilmer plays trumpet player Tom Van Allen and Danny Parker, a crystal meth user and police informant. Tom becomes Danny all in order to find his wife's killer.
  From the films openning scene it becomes clear that The Salton Sea is as much a visual treat as it is complicated. It begins with Tom playing a Miles Davis tune in room with burning money. From there we are given a brief and hilarious history of methamphetamines and then straight into the tweaker subculture. It is this world that feeds his insomnia and paranoia, and leads him into some interesting, weird, and humorous characters. From undercover cops to a dealer with a speargun to a chinese cowboy to tweakers with plans for Bob Hope's stool sample to a beautiful battered neighbor Danny runs into them all in this movie. But the scene stealer has to be the odd-ball drug dealer Pooh-Bear, whose nose had to be cut off due to the excessive damage done from drug use. Played brilliantly by Vincent D'Onofrio Pooh-Bear is the funniest villian in a movie in recent years, and his re-creation of the JFK assassination is classic.
  With all of its comedic flare The Salton Sea is still a dark and emotional movie that (pardon the cliche') is a rollercoaster of a ride. But then again just like a crystal meth addiction it does have its Ups and then it has its come-downs. It is a story about loss, revenge and redemption.

  See this movie; if not for its stylish cinematic fashion, then see it for its performances by Kilmer and D'Onofrio.
  
  

• Overlooked thriller / dark comedy packs a punch

  
  By A152C8GYY25HAH on 2002-09-16
  "The Salton Sea", one of the year's most overlooked movies, is both a highly inventive thriller and very dark comedy. It's "Memento" meets "Requiem for a Dream" meets "Pulp Fiction". If your tastes sometimes run to the unusual and the bizarre, I highly recommend this movie.

  Val Kilmer, who gives the best performance of his career, is Danny Parker, AKA Tom Van Allen. We first meet Danny playing his trumpet in a room o fire. He is apparently dying. He begins to tell his tale and asks us to decide who and what he really is. As he says, nothing is as it appears to be. He is a junkie, but he wasn't when he was Tom Van Allen. Danny's world is something Tom could never have dreamed of before a tragic and unjust event derailed his life. As Tom (good, caring, gentle person), he can not find justice. As Danny Parker (drug addict, con artist, police informant), he can. For me to tell you more would spoil the plot.

  The scenes of Tom's unrelenting anger and sorrow are often relieved by moments of unexpected dark humor. These episodes may be a little jarring, as if the movie were uncertain as to the tone it needs to maintain, but they are perfectly in synch with the madness of Danny's world. Much of the humor is provided by the great character actor Vincent D'Onofrio. His Pooh Bear is one villain you're unlikely to soon forget.
  
  

• Dark, moody film noir destined to be a cult classic

  
  By AJKWF4W7QD4NS on 2003-01-10
  Val Kilmer plays a man leading two lives. He is Tom Van Allen; a trumpet player who watched his wife get murdered before his eyes. He is also Danny Parker; a meth addict, a "tweaker", who is a rat for the police. But whoever he is, Tom or Danny, he has his own agenda and is looking for the man who killed his wife. While this all may sound like a too familiar revenge themed thriller, it has a darkly comic vibe to it, mainly thanks to Kilmer's incredible (as usual) performance as a man wrestling with his demons. Vincent D'Onofrio is fantastic as noseless meth dealer Pooh Bear and nearly steals the entire film from Kilmer, but an all-star cast of character actors including Adam Goldberg, Doug Hutchison, Anthony LaPaglia, Peter Sarsgaard, B.D. Wong, Deborah Kara Unger, Luis Guzman, Glenn Plummer, Meat Loaf, Danny Trejo, and Buckcherry lead singer Josh Todd carries the entire film and makes it as great as it is. All that combined along with the near excellent direction from D.J. Caruso and the clever, twisting and turning screenplay make The Salton Sea a highly entertaining film noir that is destined to become a cult classic.
  
  
• WORST MOVIE
  By A23F8LWM2DZHU4 on 2002-09-17
  This movie is horrible. It's sloppy. The only good thing about this movie is that it looks good. Thats all. The movie tries to make the characters interesting, but they're actually quite boring. This movie is dark, but not edgy. It doesnt come close to pulp fiction so dont believe any reviews you read that say's it does. If you want something dark,and edgy then check out Requim For A Dream.
  
  
• 4 stars (out of 5)
  By A1FFHHRKW9EX00 on 2002-04-26
  The film opens with the main character (played by Val Kilmer, although I initially guessed that it was Guy Pearce), playing the trumpet while he is surrounded by flames which include burning money. His voice-over narration indicates that he about to die, and that we can call him either Danny Parker or Tom Van Allen. Then we get a quick but very funny and gorgeously shot introduction to the history and manufacture of "speed" (methamphetamine). And then we flash back to the real movie, which starts by showing Danny Parker as a serious drug addict, surrounded by others who are as well. I could say more, but there are a great number of twists and turns in the plot, and you should discover them for yourself.

  The cinematography is, as I already indicated, spectacular. The soundtrack, featuring Miles Davis, is excellent. And the acting is very good, with Vincent D'Onofrio being the standout as an absolutely insane drug dealer who is called Pooh Bear because his nose had to be removed after he did too many drugs.

  I saw this film at the Camera Cinema Club in San Jose, CA on April 14th where the director (D.J. Caruso) was there to talk and answer questions (although I had to leave early in the question period). He said that a significant influence on him was "Chinatown," because that was the last great Los Angeles-set noir film. He also indicated that the ending, which was a little too upbeat for some, was more dark and ambiguous than other alternatives suggested by the studio.

  With the caveat that it is at times violent and/or tense, I would definitely recommend this film.
  
  

• Coming soon to a video store near you...
  By on 2002-05-27
  I was astonished to see the high marks and strong reviews for this movie. It gets a single star because there is nothing lower offered. Pulp Fiction & Memento? I don't see the connection. This was a slow and tedious movie to watch. Several of the plot lines were inane and this was a struggle to sit through. It was obvious the movie tried too hard to be cool - Sexy Beast, Snatch et al are much better movies. I wouldn't waste your time (or money) to see this (even at the $ movie).
  
  
• Absolutely Breathtaking
  By AR88WWMNDVP28 on 2003-10-20
  This is my favourite American film of all time. The imagery, acting, soundtrack, all were flawless. It's hard to describe what I found so appealing, you'd really have to see it.
  Unlike many drug movies, you'd notice how nothing is glamourised, just strikingly honest. There are real consequences for everyone. The main character (Val Kilmer), although a "tweaker", elicits sympathy as he does what he feels right. Towards the end, I feel he did do what's right. I've never been involved with drug-dealing, but I imagine it would be at least similar to the movie. I'm gonna have to buy it. The DVD, not meth.
  
  
• A Noble Heart and Black Humor
  By A1PJF3DGGUXBM3 on 2003-11-22
  Glad to see most of the reviews are favorable- "The Salton Sea" is one of my favorite movies. Why? The movie tells a special story in a unique way. Danny (AKA Tom) is on a personal mission that takes him into the squalidity of addiction and crime in LA. The story is unfolded in tangental vignettes, hyper-bizarre incidents and vivid flashbacks, and those of you with a keen eye for detail will recognize the logic of how and why the plotline is revealed this way. A lot of people will find some of the characters strange and over-the-top, and some of the incidents shocking, but that is the charm of the movie- never a dull moment.
  My favorite aspects deal with the main themes of the movie: the value of true love, evil & hypocrisy, unlikely heroes and gutter saints. A Beautiful Film.
  
  
• Moving, stunningly bleak, heartbreaking
  By A2HW33PQSRHLNO on 2004-02-02
  In the "Salton Sea" Val Kilmer gives the performance of his career. (His oft-praised performance of Jim Morrison in The Doors, a terrible movie, was nothing more than a buffoonish caricature.) Unsure of his identity and at times even the real motives behind his actions, he plays a man whose life has fallen apart. While critics have taken numerous and well written wizzes on the film for it's postmodern, Tarantino-esque attitude toward drugs and violence, I think this has been focused on too heavily. The movie has a flavor all it's own, one of mystery and how a man reacts when what he loves is taken away forever. Danny Parker, haunted drug addict and truly frightening individual, is juxtaposed with former musician and husband Thomas Van Allen. It is safe to say that Danny has taken over when the film begins.
  Giving an amusing history of methamphetamine, Danny asks the viewer to help him discover who he is and follow him in what will eventually become a path of revenge. And when the revenge does come, it is both vicious and unforgiving. The ending, despite trying to appear upbeat (perhaps in a last ditch attempt to not depress the softer viewer's to death), is actually fairly sad. Although I will not reveal any of the plot twists (and one is more important than any of the others), one has to ask oneself what is left for Danny/Tom at the end of the film. An unforgettable movie, one that will haunt your dreams. To miss this would be a disservice to all the masterful film noir that came before it.
  
  
• Val Kilmer's great comeback movie!
  By A29RNC5EEN49CJ on 2002-07-03
  The Salton Sea is one of my favorite movies this year(2002), and it's very unfourtanate that it didn't get the wide release that it deserved. This truly is the best Val Kilmer movie I seen, equaling his portrayal as Jim Morrison in The Doors. I enjoyed the movie because it was able to succesfully combine various styles(Black Comedy, Tragedy, Revenge, Violence, and coolness in sleek hip film making.) Now many would say that looking at these elements it can be seen as a simple Quentin Tarantino knock-off of Pulp Fiction,but that isn't the case. While there is Tarantino like-style in the movie, by no means is it a cheap rip off, Director D.J Caruso said himself that he Tarantino is not an influence. By the the last portion of the movie, many would argue that it ripped of Taxi Driver, but is it really fair to justify that claim? I think not. Just like it's not fair to say it ripped of Pulp Fiction. Hats down to Caruso, he and the cast did a terrific job of making this movie come to life. I recommend this to anyone with an open mind,likes stylish-thrillers, and likes the styles I mentioned earlier. However I wouldn't recommend this to anyone that is easily offended,closed-minded, and that does't like to sit in run down select theaters like I was forced to.
  
  
• I don't mean to impose, but I am the Ocean
  By A3FF56LRAS8E6A on 2002-12-06
  It took me quite a significant amount of time to write a review about this movie, as I didn't particularly believe I could possibly review the movie in a justifying and satisfactory manner.

  Here goes :

  "The Salton Sea" is already one of my favourites, ever. It took 2 viewings to join the company of my other favourites ranging back to the 40s....YES, this movie is THAT good. I can't fathom how the film wasn't critiqued as positively as it ought to have been. A pity, considering many potential viewers won't watch the film.

  This is film noir meets murder mystery meets a slight Monty Python quirkiness. Artistic cinematography, EXCELLENT acting on the parts of Val Kilmer and Vincent D'Onofrio (playing one of the most memorable on screen villians.....EVER), great score and soundtrack. The Salton Sea has repeat viewing quality like no other.

  This movie draws the viewer into the confusing, euphoric, mildly humorous and yet bleak, tortured world of Val Kilmer. A heap of memorable and quotable dialog to boot. A truly draining and rewarding film experience. I'm atwitter thinking about DJ Caruso's next project!

  If you don't own a copy yet, push this to the top of your MUST-BUY list.
  
  

• Criminally Overlooked
  By on 2003-12-02
  I can't believe some of the negative reviews generated by the critics, the same people who gave the boring, too long, cheesy, silly dialogue and over kill with boring characters Titanic 5 star greatness. How can you give a daring and dazzling character driven movie like this negative remarks, and give god awful seen it all before, cheesy Titanic super great marks, Titanic the king of the box office and this some how went pretty much unnoticed, there is no god. The Salton Sea is a must see movie really great, everything about this movie is top notch, Val Kilmer is great (I'd Like to see Leonardo DiCaprio star in a movie like this, he was awful in Gangs of New York), the directing is spot on, the script is clever even the support is great. Not a single dull moment the whole movie, I watched this movie twice which is a rarity for me. Any how this is a great movie don't listen to the critics who once bashed the great Blade runner, which is now considered the greatest SciFi movie of all time, any way the multi Oscar winning (how?)Titanic has been voted the worst movie of all time in a poll by the BBC.
  
  
• Kilmer's best since "Tombstone"....
  By ASSAVTFQJZCME on 2002-06-13
  Val Kilmer and Vincent D'Onofrio shine in this exponentially bizarre yet entertaining cinematic digression that starts slow but ends in being a potential cult classic. A dark horse for the next Oscar, Kilmer is back in easily his best performance since "Tombstone". His character's introverted and restrained quality plays well against the storyline.... but please do not take my word alone....

  * "A cool groove of a movie" (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone)

  * "Kilmer gives one of the best performances of his career." (Stephen Farber, Movieline)

  * "Savage and haunting." (Rex Reed, New York Observer)

  * "A Terrific, twisty thriller." (Karen Durbin, Elle)

  * "Vincent D'Onofrio may well be the spookiest villian of the year". (Joe Leydon, San Francisco Examiner)

  * "The dizzying tale stays engrossing... tight and nasty." (Glenn Kenny, Premiere)
  
  

• Fantastic Movie
  By on 2002-07-10
  The story, the writing, the acting, the plot, the filming, the music, the sound, the editing--first rate. This is one of the better movies I've seen in a long time. Val Kilmer was absolutely perfect, as were all the other players. For a change, a script that doesn't pander to the audience. A movie with quirks that actually SUPPORT the movie. I've not read an accurate review by any of the "pros". It's not "Memento". It's not Tarantino. If it reminded me of anything, I would say "The Limey", by Steven Soderbergh. A fantastic movie!
  
  
• Tarntiono's style is finally captured
  By A1VM4PEQRIWGDT on 2002-08-20
  When I walked into the thearter after buying a ticket for the salton sea I was excited. The Salton Sea had already recieved some good underground buzz that I checked in w/before deciding to go see the movie. I was prepared to be blown away and I was. Although the Salton Sea was an amazing movie anyone who sees it should have their head checked at the door. Some of the movie's content is so filthy that I wanted to take a shower after seeing this film. The story is centered around val kilmer or danny parker who is disguised as Tom Van Allen a police informant disguised as a speed freak. Danny is looking for revenge for the murder of his wife and becoming a man that he dosen't recognize (Tom Van Allen) is his only escape to seeking revenge. The Salton sea is brutal,druged up, and worse it makes you think which what I have herd is something that many audiences are not willing to grasp.
  
  
• ONE OF THE BEST I'VE EVER SCENE!
  By AF8C86SGYLH81 on 2002-09-15
  Where have I been? Where has this movie been? I just watched "The Salton Sea", starring Val Kilmer...a film that was released in
  theatres on April 26th of this year...a limited release. So how was it? It ranks among the top five films I have EVER scene. It
  is chilling, riveting, shocking, and perhaps before its time.

  "The Salton Sea" makes "Blow" and "Traffic" suitable for all ages...family flicks. "The Salton Sea" is a sobering look deep into
  the world of drugs...so deep that it brings chills to your spine...goosebump city. Val Kilmer says it all in one of the opening
  scenes: "You finally hit bottom and can't go any lower." This film can't get any higher on my list. It is simply a gem...a
  masterpiece. Val Kilmer has never been better, even though I thought he was incredible in "The Doors" and "Tombstone".

  So what's the story all about? It's all about Val Kilmer...the many faces of VK...who portrays a "Tweeker" (you'll have to see the
  movie to understand). He hangs with other tweekers, loakers and slammers.

  The shock value alone is worth the one hour and 43 minutes of gripping entertainment. The sound is superb. You must watch this
  with a good sound system...on at least a 25-inch screen. This DVD is of the highest quality. I wish I had seen it in the theatre, but to be honest, I didn't even know
  it was released back in April. I stumbled across it by searching the net for other films, and when I read the reviews on Amazon.
  Com, I knew it would be my type of flick.

  It is definitely not for the squeamish. It is violent, graphic, lots of language...and the sound effects and soundtrack is as
  compelling as the unique camera angles and editing.

  Trust me, I've seen thousands of films in my life and you can't miss this one. Buy it. It's a gold mine and one you will watch again and again.
  "The Salton Sea" is filled with love, hate, compassion, friendship, betrayal, soul, revenge...REALITY. There are moments that
  remind me of such flicks as "Blow", "Natural Born Killers", "Insomnia", the drug scene in "Traffic", "The Doors"...etc. But this
  film makes them look like babies. "The Salton Sea" is a new genre of film. It rests alone on my list in a place that no film has
  ever gone before. Val Kilmer is a genius. His co-stars Vincent D'Onofrio, Doug Hutchison, Peter Sarsgaard and many others, are
  perfectly cast. From the murderous dealers, his love influence, his friends, his enemies and all that are around him...I lived
  this film as I watched it. It drew me right into the world of Danny Parker (VK)...a trumpet player, a tweeker and owner of one of
  the most spectacular tattoos I have ever seen.
  If you like to be shocked with reality, and truly enjoy great acting, editing, sound and music, "The Salton Sea" is a must-
  see.
  
  

• See, The Salton Sea
  By on 2002-09-17
  Directing: 10; Acting: 10; Story: 9.0 - If this movie had to rely on the acting alone, it'd be an excellent movie. Although, this is a "dark" movie - it could've been worse. If you're a "Kilmer fan" it is one of his best performances.
  
  
• Great Story
  By A2IWNR249B9O25 on 2002-08-12
  This is an entertaining dark Greek tragedy with a twist. Similar in flashback form to Momento, we are draw into this world of the character played by Val Kilmer (Tom Van Allen). The plot is intriguing as we are trying to decipher the reason Val Kilmer is in a burning building, seeming uncaring to the danger of the flames. What events have brought this character to such despair? We follow back in time as we see the path unfold in this suspense thriller.
  
  
• "I really like his chances..."
  By A3NXFFS4L2J6U1 on 2002-10-07
  What a beautiful movie. The plot, admittedly, is pretty vanilla - Val Kilmer's wife has been killed, he seeks revenge, yawn - but the performances are so mesmerizing that you completely forget that you've seen this movie before. D.J. Caruso, in what is probably the best first film I've seen since Bottle Rocket, manages to instill the movie with a crazy visual sensibility a la Snatch, or From Hell, but keeps the characters from getting lost in the slo-mo dolly shots and visual trickery. The best reason for this success is Val Kilmer. I'd say "performance of a lifetime," but this man has given so many performances of a lifetime that it's almost standard to see him light up the screen. Nevertheless, he makes the movie, along with Vincent D'Onofrio, who has more fun than should be allowed playing a no-nosed junkie with a pet badger named Captain Steubing. The dialogue would sound hackneyed from the mouth of a lesser actor, but Kilmer makes it so moving that one is almost sorry when the film is over. Go watch this. You won't regret it.
  
  
• beyond words
  By A3G8UZQNH353YC on 2002-11-07
  Absolutely Beautiful. The best movie iv'e seen in YEARS. Vincent D'Onfrio is brilliant. Val Kilmer is beautiful. Peter Sarsgaard is unbelievably lovable. Debra Unger rocks. Luiz Guzman is always great, even in this small role.
  
  
• Great
  By ADN2RUR9D2CVG on 2003-02-19
  I bought this movie not expecting too much about it, but after seen it I realized that suddenly became one of my favorites. I usually prefer to watch European movies, because they are realistic, dramatic and usually gets directly to my hart and the same results gave me the Salton Sea movie. You won't regret about this movie: money well spent.
  
  
• Gorgeous scenes, decent acting, so-so storyline
  By AYMPVLWFKTAYE on 2003-04-06
  "The Salton Sea" is a mystery/trippy/twisty film that is enjoyable and quite beautiful. Val Kilmer plays Danny, a speed freak, whom we meet as he plays the trumpet and a building burns down around him. There is a bit of a monologue asking for the audience to hear how it all come to this, and the rest of the film is played out in a series of flashbacks and dream sequences.

  Kilmer is a little bit too old to play this role, but as usual, he does an excellent job with his part despite standing out like a sore thumb in the crowd of young tweakers. His supporting cast is good, and of special note are Peter Sarsgaard (as Jimmy the Finn - his performance is absolutely spot-on) and Vincent D'Onofrio (as Pooh-Bear - you'd almost never know it was him, so convincing is his performance.)

  There are some movies, such as "Trainspotting," which transport the viewer into the mind of a drug addict so completely that one might feel unsettled, and even a little high. "The Salton Sea," while beautifully directed, is not one of these films - one local viewer quoted "it was kind of just like watching a bunch of drug addicts." I feel it was much more than this, though, because as the movie plays out, we realize this is more than Just Another Druggie Story, and the fact that we're not drawn into the drug experiences is just fine. As layers of the film unfold, we learn of quite a few surprises - why Danny/Tom is a tweaker, why we only see his wife in his hallucinations and dreams, why he has a tattoo of the Salton Sea on his back, how and why he became involved with the police to begin with, and more. These are not plot twists that will leave your teeth on the floor, but they do provide interesting entertainment.

  All in all, this is not an outstanding movie, nor is it an amazing movie...but it *is* a very beautiful movie with strong elements. I'd imagine that it would have played better on the big screen than on television, simply because the gorgeous scenery would have been, well, bigger. Still, worth seeing - perhaps when you're in one of those moods when you can't decide what kind of movie you feel like watching.
  
  

• Surprisingly Excellent!
  By AWIVQKQHGIQ8P on 2003-04-08
  I thought this movie was going to be a bad one becuase of how badly it was promoted. Well it was a great movie. The cinemetagraphy was excellent not to mention the great job Val Kilmer did in this role. The movie was on the dark side but still a captivating experience. I definately recommend this movie..
  
  
• Good script, great production
  By A1DAOL3NMHEPLS on 2003-08-16
  "The Salton Sea" is one of those movies that keep you guessing 'til the end. Val Kilmer's portrayal of a lost soul on a mission that you don't at first understand is compelling, and the endless stream of strange characters that he encounters on his journey through a druggie Hell keep you wondering "what's next?"

  I gave this five stars when it's really about a 4.5, because the production is great and the moody score really adds to the whole experience. If you enjoyed Pulp Fiction, True Romanc, Nurse Betty or Snatch, you'll like this one too!
  
  

• A thoughtful, eloquent, surprising tale
  By A2H9UO8RYFX5MB on 2003-10-12
  The best thing about "The Salton Sea" is that it isn't what one might expect. What starts out as yet another film detailing the aspects of a heavy drug user's life - something like "Blow" or "Trainspotting" or "Requiem for a Dream" - becomes quite something else by the end of the film. Mind you, I don't have any problem with these types of films, and the ones I just mentioned are all quite good in their own right. It bears pointing out, however, that "The Salton Sea" is not trying to be one of those movies, which goes to its credit.
  
  And yet, drug use definitely forms a large aspect of the story of the film. In its depiction of drug use and drug users, it is remarkably balanced. It neither condemns nor glorifies it characters for their addiction, it simply portrays them honestly, as part of a larger story. Most films seem which involve a heavy dose of drug use in their story seem to feel the need to moralize on the subject at some point, but The Salton Sea avoided that particular pitfall.

  Most likely this is because, as the filmmakers doubtless realized early on, it's not a movie about drug use. Though it has that feeling to it early on, the story slowly turns to the history of the main character, why he is in the situation he finds himself, and what he's doing now that he's there. Through a number of fairly surprising twists and turns, we learn that all is not as it seems, both for him and for those around him. The ending, when it comes, is one of the nicest surprises of the film, even as it is its most heart-wrenching moment.

  Val Kilmer, who always seems to crop up in the oddest places, surprised me yet again with his lead role in this movie. He was compelling and convincing in all aspects of his portrayal, and his narrating voice throughout the film served as a unifying factor. Though I would have been hard-pressed to imagine him in this sort of role before, I now find it hard to imagine it played as well by anyone but him. Then there's Vincent d'Onofrio, who seems to have no end to his versatility. The first time I saw him was in "Strange Days," as one of the corrupt policemen in that movie. I remember how he, without much help from makeup or effects, really scared me by the end of that film. These days, he shows up in many diverse roles, from a good cop in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" to a psycho freak in "The Cell" to Hunter Thompson's outrageous cohort Lazlo in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." Even with all of this in mind, d'Onofrio's role in "The Salton Sea" is perhaps his strangest yet. As a drug dealer who frequently samples his own product, and has suffered obvious damage to his nose as a result, d'Onofrio employs a number of disturbing quirks and idiosyncrasies in his character that make him almost unrecognizable. I had to wait until the end of the film, when I saw the credits, to be sure that it was him. A talented actor in almost anything, this is probably his most disturbing role to date, putting me in mind of Gary Oldman's part in "Léon" - a high compliment, since I consider that to be one of Oldman's standout roles.

  A note on the music for the film: it is yet another example of why I've become such a huge follower of Thomas Newman's scores in a relatively short time. A composer of rare talent, Newman seems to be, like a chameleon, capable of suiting his work perfectly to almost any type of story. From the swelling, moody strings of "The Shawshank Redemption" to the quiet modern sensibility of "American Beauty" to the classic sweeping drama of "Meet Joe Black," Newman's versatility as a composer seems almost limitless, and yet his scores are almost universally enjoyable. "The Salton Sea" is no exception to this rule. Newman's music establishes the film's identity, and changes suitably as the story changes. Complex themes and subtle variations highlight the score throughout, and yet never distracts the viewer from the story itself. Unlike John Williams or similar composers, Newman never feels the need to announce his music's presence. Rather, it complements the film and enhances the overall experience. From the contemporary stylings of the early part of the film to the softer, heartbreaking strains of its climax, Newman's score for "The Salton Sea" remains one of the high points of the film throughout.

  I think what I appreciated most about "The Salton Sea" was that it defied expectations in many ways. From a perspective of acting, or story, or character development, nothing turns out quite the way I thought it would at the beginning of the film. The performances, in many ways, are not what we expect from the actors chosen for the movie. It doesn't moralize or pass judgment on its subject matter, but lets the audience draw their own conclusions about some pretty controversial things, from drug use to the concept of revenge. While I wouldn't say that it's a film that I'll want to watch over and over again, it's definitely a movie that's worth seeing, probably more than once.
  
  

• Great Portyral of A Speed Freak in a Hollywood Way
  By A3G4RG9TWMYHUN on 2004-04-09
  This is a absolute gem in the rough. I put this up their with pulp ficition, memento, blow, casino,fear and loathing.

  First, if you have not done meth(speed) you will not know how percise this film is. It portrays the scene pretty well and val deos a good job of telling what its like in the first scene. If you havent done meth you probably wont get this movie that well. There is still a great story line, but all a speed freak cares about is, were is that next line coming from and when will it be here. I love movies when the who plot comes together at the end. YOU NEED TO SEE THIS FILM.

  I'm not saying you will totally be lost if you have never done meth, but having done the drug myself I can relate to the film A LOT.

  Absolutly brilliant film and I love the way it was done and how true it is. Val Kimer can not do a bad movie and I love how he seems to choose the crazy,weird,drug,(...) kind of movies. He totally encompasses his acting ability in each roll he deos. Brilliant.

  A+++++.
  
  

• Haphazards of fortune
  By A3MLO4GAD2O9DL on 2002-05-25
  This scattershot film tries to fuse elements from various recent movies in an effort to outhip them all and succeeds only partially--and only because of the acting. With a gorgeous opening image of a lone man playing trumpet surrounded on all sides by an inferno, it flashes back to a part jump-cut, part time-stretched series of voiced-over sequences all describing the life of heavily tattooed, spike-haired, nose-ringed druggies, all too old to sport their punky accoutrements, all too zonked to care.

  One of them is our lone trumpet player, Tom Van Allen, self-renamed Danny Parker to bury his monumental grief at the loss of his young wife, previously shot to death by a masked holdup man. And the drugs is similarly what he's sure will obliterate that sorrow. In thrall to two nasty cops who use him as a street rat, Danny reveals his story bit by bit, while simultaneously searching for his wife's killer.

  On this dark road he comes across Vincent D'Onofrio's Pooh Bear, one seriously nasty piece of work--a noseless drug dealer with a Southern accent thick enough to fry corn pone right in your face. D'Onofrio here has one of his juiciest, meatiest roles and he serves it up real fine. You can practically taste his wicked glee as he proffers Danny a voracious badger in a cage whose door is about to open--while Danny's forced to take down his trousers.

  An early scene with one of the druggies--Adam Goldberg's hyper-maniacal Kujo--outlining a truly hilarious heist only adds to the confusion that is this film. Yes, that's a very funny sequence--but in retrospect, why? To show druggies are people too? No doubt.

  Val Kilmer as our anti-hero does a fine job, as does D'Onofrio, Debra Kara Unger as a put-upon neighbor, the always reliable Luis Guzman, and Anthony LaPaglia as one of the cops. But while the actors all get their characters down to a Tee, so what? The script moves too fast for its own good, kinda like it too is on the drug of choice here, speed, and when it does settle down--of sorts--it flops into a fairly formulaic, thin-skinned group of events that's long since defined the "thriller" genre.

  Without D'Onofrio, the skin would wear even thinner and a whole lot faster. Without both him and Kilmer, no skin--just transparent 'stuff'. Yep, the actors save this film and it's a good thing.

  There is such a thing as being TOO hip. Maybe the filmmakers didn't know that. On the other hand, it's the millenium. Time for whatever will sell.
  
  

• um.. what a waste.
  By ANUBIW9W5TCFX on 2002-09-22
  don't waste your time and money on this film. val kilmer made this film sound like it was the only film worth watching this year. i'll just say you're not missing anything. what was a good story line was turned into mediocre ... it was even fragmented, ... bad directing, ... [the lead actor] was trying too hard to be something he wasn't. he isn't made for a role like this. ... ...
  
  

• Spun (Unrated Version)
• Drugstore Cowboy
• Requiem for a Dream (Director's Cut)
• Trainspotting - Director's Cut (Collector's Edition)
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas