The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMovie reviews

Savages

Savages | Movie review
20 September 2012
Jennifer Atkinson
Avatar
Jennifer Atkinson
20 September 2012

Resisting the urge to condemn every aspect of this film as “savage”, this is one movie to live up to its title.

Oliver Stone’s latest contribution to the film world is “that kind of story” (a quote literally taken from the film) that could literally take any turn.  It is the fast and not-so-straight-forward story of two friends, Chon (Taylor Kitsch – John Carter) and Ben (Aaron Johnson – Kick Ass), and their mutually shared lover, O (Blake Lively – Gossip Girl).  Living a picturesque lifestyle in a Southern Californian town, the trio reap the profits from home-grown weed – a successful business grown from seeds brought back from Afghanistan by ex-Navy Seal, Chon.

Not long into the film and the threesome’s idyllic life is interrupted by the Mexican “Baja Cartel”.  Demanding in on their partnership, the merciless Mexicans don’t take no for an answer and resort to the most heinous powers of persuasion.  Leading the BC is the feisty Elena (Salma Hayak) and her vicious enforcer, Lado (Benicio Del Toro), who will go to any lengths to convince the boys to unite with them on their proposed “joint” venture.

After Elena and the BC commit foul play, resulting in O’s kidnap, Chon and Ben are forced to pool their contacts and talent in order to repatriate their damsel in distress.  Like polar opposites, Chon represents the soulless soldier having a “wargasm” to every one of O’s orgasms, while Ben’s morals stretch into the justification of using marijuana for medicinal purposes – condoning their use as pain-relief for the terminally ill – more eco-warrior than fighter.

John Travolta plays the reluctant DEA agent, as dirty and bent as they come, but whose insider knowledge comes into good use with Chon and Ben’s rescue mission.  Along with Chon’s sniper friends, the duo look set to conquer Elena and the BC, and thus the blood and gore commences.

Savages is a heavy film.  Even to a desensitised audience of modern day, the shock of a torture scene with Stone’s close-ups of mutilated flesh and decapitated bodies makes for a gruesome show.  Throw in a rape scene and the film takes on a whole new level of savage!

Stone has done a good job with Savages – overall this film is enjoyable to watch, specifically for those who like fast-paced crime thrillers.  The character match is spot on: both Kitsch and Johnson do an excellent job as their juxtaposed personalities, whilst any actress picked for the role of O was likely to annoy the audience because of her position as the lover of not one good looking chap, but two, and also her incessant narration over the top of the film, explaining what was going on, and how “it’s that kind of a story”.

With a soundtrack that includes fitting songs such as Legalize It (Peter Tosh), Psycho Killer (Bruce Lash), and Here Comes The Sun (Yuna), there is little detail left out of this film preventing its impact. Overall, a savage success.

★★★★★

Jennifer Atkinson

Savages is released nationwide on 21st September 2012.

Watch the trailer for Savages here:

Related Itemsreview

More in Movie reviews

The Railway Children Return

★★★★★
Umar Ali
Read More

Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War

★★★★★
Umar Ali
Read More

Minions: The Rise of Gru

★★★★★
Sarah Bradbury
Read More

Nitram

★★★★★
Umar Ali
Read More

The Princess

★★★★★
Umar Ali
Read More

We (Nous)

★★★★★
Jake Cudsi
Read More

Tigers

★★★★★
Guy Lambert
Read More

Theo and the Metamorphosis

★★★★★
Oliver Johnston
Read More

The Big Hit

★★★★★
Andrew Murray
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Africa Fashion at the V&A
    ★★★★★
    Art
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Netflix Walking Tour: From Bridgerton to The Crown, a free walking tour through the filming locations
    Cinema & Tv
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Minions: The Rise of Gru
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • The Railway Children Return
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • The Terminal List
    ★★★★★
    amazon
  • Baymax!
    ★★★★★
    disney
  • The Railway Children Return
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Netflix Walking Tour: From Bridgerton to The Crown, a free walking tour through the filming locations
    Cinema & Tv
  • Africa Fashion at the V&A
    ★★★★★
    Art
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

The Big Mix: Macmillan Cancer Support charity event
Submotion Orchestra – Fragments | Album review