Savages

There are a few things in this world we know are a certain fact, right? Like we know the sun rises in the east and it sets in the west and that water freezes at thirty two degrees Fahrenheit. We know that every four years we elect a new President and the Olympics happen somewhere on this planet. We also know that rarely, oh so very rarely is the movie better than or equal too the book it was spawned from. In fact the movie is usually SO bad that it turns you off from wanting to even read the damn book afterwards. Well boys and girls, I can honestly sit here today and tell you that what I just saw in the way of Oliver Stone's celluloid interpretation of Dan Winslow's amazing novel Savages is not only better than the book, it far exceeds it...and I LOVED the book!

In fact I would recommend you read it before seeing the movie, don't worry, you'll tear through the book in a day or two. That's how well it's written and that's how fast it moves. Then check out Stone's movie and I am pretty confident that you will feel the same way. Now in a lesser director would have taken this movie down a dark and violent path which would be understandable given the nature of the story. However, this movie, in the hands of the man behind Scarface, Platoon, and Natural Born Killers takes this movie to the line, to the edge of that violent cliff but never allows it to fall over. It was a masterful job. It also helps that Dan Winslow helped write the screenplay, just saying.

Starring Aaron Johnson as Ben, Taylor Kitsch as Chon, and Blake lively as O, Savages is a love story involving those three characters wrapped up in an intriguing tale of drugs, money, and violence. Ben and Chon supposedly grow the best weed...anywhere and they have a dedicated customer base and an extremely profitable business, so profitable in fact that it's caught the eye of the Baja Cartel from Tijuana, Mexico. The cartel, headed by the always impressive Selma Hayek playing Elena Sanchez Lauter is ruthless and at war with El Azul's crew and they are losing. They need to expand and who better to bring into the fold than the two best pot growers in the great state of California? Elena sends an email that can't be misinterpreted and demands a meeting with her representatives. The cartel says welcome, Ben and Chon say no thanks and then things get interesting.

Did I say this was a love story? It is, just not in the conventional sense (and yeah, sorta conventional). Elena is pissed because no one tells Elena no, except her daughter. She sent the carrot to the gringos and they spit in her face so then she unleashes the stick. She sends her "hammer" Lado played by the amazing Benicio Del Torro who is in his element in this movie. Lado carries out his orders to the letter which forces Ben and Chon to rethink things which just ramps the movie up even more. John Travolta plays Dennis, the back stabbing, double crossing DEA agent who plays both sides of the fence, to stay alive and to stay paid.

If you've read the book then you know what happens at the end of the movie but fret not, that ending is not this ending, so smile. If you haven't read it then don't worry about it, act like I said nothing about the ending, comprende? Now the one thing you can always say about an Oliver Stone movie is that the score is seldom if ever remembered, this time around that thankless job is handled by Adam Peters. And yes, you will NOT remember the score once you leave the theater. Why? Because the images on the screen, the vibrant colors that clash with a few hits of Black and white and the violence won't allow you to focus on his score. Don't blame Adam, it's all Olivers fault, his and his cinematographer's Dan Mindel.

Like I said, there are a few certainties in this world (at least in America, anyway) but this movie has the sun rising in the west and setting in the east. No, I'm serious...read the book then see the movie and you'll see the sun rise in the west just like I do (and I am NOT smoking any of Ben and Chon's weed either). See you at the theater!