It should never be argued that Oliver Stone is not a good director. He’s got an interesting point of view, creating a visual story that is aesthetically and dramatically compelling. The problem here, at least with Savages, is that the story itself can’t float with anyone- Stone or no.
It’s really all in the characters. It’s not that the cast isn’t capable of fulfilling their duties; with actors like Benecio Del Toro, Taylor Kitsch, Salma Hayek, Aaron Johnson, John Travolta and Blake Lively, it’s hard to falter in the performance aspect. But as I sat through the wonderfully directed and well acted film, I couldn’t help but think, “Why should I actually give a shit about anyone in this movie?”
The film is a drug thriller with several interesting twists thrown in for good measure. Johnson and Kistch play Ben and Chon (no seriously, that’s the character’s name), two best friends and marijuana kingpins of the O.C. area, supplying America with the finest sticky-icky that money can buy. The always hot Blake Lively plays O, named after Ophelia or something, the girlfriend of both boys. She has the voice over throughout the film which screams the subtext of “THAT’S RIGHT, I HAVE TWO HOT BOYFRIENDS AND LOVE GETTING HIGH AND HAVE SEX ALL THE TIME.” Sure, good for you. I’m happy that you can have a hot sex sandwich (related side note: We get to see Taylor Kitsch’s ass in the beginning- high five, ladies). But when Mexican drug cartels become interested in Ben and Chon’s methods, events go awry and the shady cartel kidnaps O. Now her man-bread (you know, part of that sex sandwich) has to turn violent and dark to save her.
But seriously, why should I care? O is progressive and hot and sweet and it’s obvious that both men love her, but this is what happens when you deal drugs, kids. This is what happens when you start f*cking with Mexican drug cartels. I can’t have any sympathy for these beautiful white polyamourous twenty year olds because it seems that the choices that they’ve made have obvious consequences. Savages tries to save this by painting Ben and Chon as a world philanthropist and tortured veteran respectively, but the point is moot because, again, these guys are f*cking drug dealers. And I know it’s just weed. But the issue that it’s only weed is squashed when O is JONESING for a toke when she’s kidnapped. That’s not how weed works, you guys.
I also didn’t root for the Mexican’s either. Led by the sultry yet maternal Elena (played by Salma Hayek), there isn’t really a reason why the cartel risks international turmoil other than the fact that this weed is primo bud. But the cartel is shocked too when things start to get dark for them. What did you think you were signing up for?
The issue isn’t even the complexities of the characters, all of which could be an interesting movie in itself. The girl with a comfortable and loving relationship with two best friends (the cliché is that one makes love while the other f*cks is used a lot, but I’ll accept it). The drug queen pin who is as vicious as she is loving. The double crossing DEA agent (sub plot, played by Travolta) who has a dying wife and two little girls. All of these stories could support their own film yet they’re all shoved in the film like a giant mess of a action/thriller/drama movie. Maybe deconstructing the exhaustive character list could have made for moments where I felt genuine sympathy for these beautiful stoners, but instead I just wanted to yell at the screen, “you made your bed, now lie in it.”
You could do worse for a film, and plenty of 12-13 year olds just sneaking in to violent movies will proclaim it as “awesome,” but all the talent behind the camera is squandered by convoluted story that ends up being about forty five minutes too long. Or maybe you could just get really high before. But then again, you would be then part of the problem.
SumOlogy: Best to just stay in and watch Reefer Madness.
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