Review of Salvador (1986) by Tommy H — 05 Apr 2015
It's like James Woods went out in the mood to party and ended up on the set of a horrifying political and social drama. He glides fluently through his scenes and the heart of his performance never skips a beat.
He's always on and fascinating to watch. You can almost call Salvador a realistic comedy. People you see in comedy movies exist in real life, but just because you have a comedians personality doesn't mean the world will always smile back at you.
His character maintains an up-lifting spirit through the whole movie, either by his entertaining, lightening-fast wit or the inspiring passion he puts into the more dramatic moments, and there are many.
The contrast between the heartwarming and heartbreaking is a signature move by Oliver Stone. Jim Belushi's character was similar to Woods, without the dynamic personality. Those two together is sometimes like Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas.
The female journalist, I'm not sure what her name is, but she does a good job playing the strong, independent and heartless woman. I watched Deer Hunter a few days ago so it was nice to see John Savage without his brains hanging out.
There are no bad performances. The movie itself is great. I don't mean to sound like a right-wing nut, but depending on who you get your news from many parallels can be drawn between events in the movie and events in present day America.
Maybe not, but it's interesting to note. From the moment they arrive in El Salvatore there's a sense of unease and intimidation that carries through the whole movie. No matter if you love or hate Oliver Stone you at least have to admit his movies are thought-provoking.
This review of Salvador (1986) was written by Tommy H on 05 Apr 2015.
Salvador has generally received positive reviews.
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