FIRST LOOK

First Look: Angelina Jolie in Phillip Noyce's Salt

by Alex Billington
March 3, 2009
Source: USA Today

Late last year we wrote that Phillip Noyce had decided to replace Tom Cruise with Angelina Jolie in his CIA thriller Edwin A. Salt. The character was literally changed from male to female, the name changed from Edwin to Evelyn A. Salt, and the title of the production shortened to just Salt. Well, the film has finally started shooting and USA Today has the first two photos of Angelina Jolie in character. They're not much to look at, but may be interesting to see especially in the context of the plot, which is about a CIA operative who tries to clear her name after she is accused of being a Russian sleeper agent. So is she or isn't she?

Both of these shots below are of Angelina Jolie in Salt, because she takes on various looks during various parts. "She's a character you never know," says producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. "People who think they know the real her may or may not. Those who think they can tell whether she's in a disguise also may or may not. You're supposed to be kept guessing. She tells you her agenda, but are you supposed to believe it?"

Salt is being directed by Phillip Noyce, of everything from Patriot Games to Clear and Present Danger to The Bone Collector to Catch a Fire most recently. He promises that this will be "a reality-based spy movie with action set pieces as thrilling as the most crowd-pleasing movies of this genre." I hope he delivers on that promise, because Noyce hasn't exactly been thrilling anyone recently, and I really don't want this to end up a flop. The screenplay was originally written by Kurt Wimmer (of Equilibrium, Street Kings) and later re-written for Jolie by Brian Helgeland (of L.A. Confidential, Conspiracy Theory, Mystic River).

"The question of Jason Bourne is 'Who am I?'" Lorenzo di Bonaventura says, in explaining the concept more clearly. "The question of Salt is, 'We know everything about her, but do we?' [Her pursuers] have a ton of information to act on, but that's where they begin to question what is real and what isn't." Interested?

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