Review of The Salton Sea (2002) by Julie G — 22 Feb 2010

The Salton Sea is a very good film, in fact it had all the pieces necessary which should have set it up to be a classic of the 00s; intense themes, competent cast, and rich visual aesthetic. It smoothly flows in and out of Danny's multi-tiered world, drawing us into his intensely lost but singular purposed life. With great care Val Kilmer plays a man who's been hurt to the very core of his being and now sinks into the molds necessary to achieve his goal. His tragedy is now his reason for being, it's what pulls him through existence. That's not to say he's a nihilist character since we're also shown a man who, despite having little of it left, is capable of great compassion.

Unfortunately what tethers this film to the ground and keeps it from soaring is the very foundation for the majority of events which take place here. For one, the inciting incident requires a great deal of suspended belief. He and his wife just-so-happened to stop at a drug dealer's house for directions. Not only that but they both go inside and have a chat instead of one of them just going up to quickly ask. Sure, this happens all the time.

AND, on top of that, two masked killers just-so-happen to attack while they're there. Ok.

The other minor structural flaws are the ways in which we are not shown Danny getting involved with the various DEA and FBI organizations. The writers just took for granted that we would care, or that it would make sense that one can so easily fall into their employ.

If only the crux of the overall plot hadn't been taken for granted or skimmed over or whatever, Salton Sea could have had a stronger impact instead of the result; a rich but lopsided story, a mansion balancing on the thinnest of beams.