After watching, I completely understand why the role was originally written for Tom Cruise. This movie was Mission Impossible 4. Lucky for Angelina Jolie, the script was rewritten and retitled for a female lead. Director Phillip Noyce ("The Saint" & "The Bone Collector") managed to insert all the trademarks of a spy film. You never know until the completion who the real traitor is, almost comically unrealistic actions scenes, and of course, the fake face disguise that gets torn off once they have infiltrated the building. Angelina is Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent respected by her peers and boss. One day a Russian spy walks into their offices and reveals a plot is in the works to assassinate the president of Russia at a funeral in New York City. The name of the spy who will pull the trigger: Evelyn Salt. Naturally, she will stop at nothing to clear her name, and we follow her along her deadly and quick paced journey. Jolie might not have been my first pick for the role, but considering her kick ass job in the movie "Wanted", she's qualified enough to play a female action hero. I am mystified, however, by her hair. She goes through wig after wig in this film, and I wonder, at the age of 35, has she become so emaciated that her real hair is no longer camera worthy? Though predictable, the movie had some good sequences. I recommend it for renting, not necessarily for purchase.
