AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Dotbankey A lot of fun.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

tomsview If ever a movie turned out to be not what I was expecting, this is it.Narration sets the tone for this quirky, yet disturbing movie. "Wait until I've told my whole story, but don't give up on me just yet – nothing is as it seems", says Val Kilmer's character, Tom Van Allen, as he plays an anguished trumpet solo while his apartment burns down around him. The story is played out in a long flashback. Methedrine addiction underpins the story. Van Allen explains the all-consuming nature of speed or crank addiction and the world of the addicts – the tweakers. As Van Allen tells his tale, we see his alter ego, Danny Parker, at a four-day tweaker party in the suburbs – "the land of the perpetual night party". Covered in tattoos and sporting heavy rings and chains, Parker is an arresting sight. Although tweakers at first glance would seem to be the neighbours from hell, Danny Parker sees worth in the denizens of this twilight world. "When you finally hit rock bottom", He explains, "you know who you are because you can't go any lower, and you find intimacy with those who can go the distance".However, Danny's rock bottom is another notch down from the average tweaker because he is also a police informer. Danny pinpoints crank dealers for two unsavoury detectives. One of them, Al Garcetti, played by Anthony LaPaglia actually seems worse than the drug dealers he pursues. Eventually, the two detectives cut Danny loose, warning him that Columbian drug dealers are hunting him. But Danny doesn't run, instead, he attempts to set up a bust by himself. It is then that we realise that Tom Van Allen / Danny Parker may have another agenda after all. He has descended into tweaker hell after his wife, a methedrine addict, was killed while shopping for drugs in a crank house that was raided by what appeared to be a rival gang. Van Allen survived but is so racked with guilt that he assumed the identity of Danny Parker to try and track down the killers himself.Of all the disturbing characters in the movie, the most confronting is Pooh-Bear played by Vincent D'Onofrio. Danny seeks out Pooh-Bear to set up a huge crank deal that fits in with his scheme for revenge. Pooh-Bear has lost his nose from overuse of crank and now wears a plastic one in its place –in one scene Danny happens upon him before he has glued it on for the day. Pooh Bear's lack of nose was achieved through clever CGI work."The Salton Sea" has more depth than a simple description of the plot would imply. Only in the last ten minutes or so does it become more contrived and predictable. Not a bad effort when many movies these days feel contrived and predictable from the opening credits. Aided by an eye-popping performance from Kilmer, "The Salton Sea" never loses its grip on the audience. Thomas Newman's score combined with trumpet solos by the late Gil Evans, accentuate the mood of this film about a man who to expiate his guilt, has descended to the lower rungs of society. "The Salton Sea" makes a compelling movie out of a depressing subject without in any way making the lifestyle appear desirable.

Valithanithizum The Salton Sea is utterly fantastic. It's amazing it took me this long to watch it, it's an instant classic.What makes the movie so fantastic is the amount of content and the variety of said content that is displayed. It's gritty, yet intellectual. Slow, yet paced perfectly. The story unravels slowly, yet the story happens to fast. I think it's safe to say, that the complexity of this movie can not be understated. What you are getting here is the total package. From the gorgeous delivery and beautiful cinematography, to the intricate details from the culmination of the plot. The thought engrossing script, and the perfectly acted epic story tells the tale of redemption, revenge, heartbreak, sorrow, loss, and glory. Val Kilmer delivers his best roll of his entire life. This movie will be relevant for the next 100 years. Do yourself a favor, and add this to your must watch list.

John Raymond Peterson Is Val Kilmer out to set a record? He's got six productions set for 2012 release, on top of his list of 76 acting credits. Salton Sea is in my opinion his last feature film worth watching. He's played second fiddle in several since then and had lead roles in mediocre productions but the potential many moviegoers had seen in him have sort of faded away and I hope he'll do something worthwhile soon but I'm not holding my breath. Has his mark as an actor fans want to see vanished with his best behind him? Red Planet, The Saint, Tombstone, Thunderheart, The Doors, all good movies but a fraction of what he's done. The Salton Sea may be Kilmer's best. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, really? Enough about him; the movie is a good crime drama and has a supporting cast to match.I had to dig back many years to find this movie. It's a dark movie but powerful nonetheless. Vincent D'Onofrio's performance is outstanding, though brief. There's suspense and action to keep a die-hard fan of the genre glued to the seat. The rating by users has consistently been good at the various sources I like to refer to, but not so much from the critics. I can't think of any dark movie scoring well with critics; they must have sensibilities beyond that of the average moviegoer.

Samiam3 The drug world is a crazy one: a world of strait and dirty, bullets and blood shed, secrecy and surveillance, and sometimes life or death. If you were one of the few people to follow David Simon's the Wire on Cable TV, you'll get the idea completely. The Saltan Sea, though occasionally flirting close too close to the line of staged plotting, feels surprisingly convincing, and down to earth. Though I wouldn't call it a super smart motion picture, it does have a brain, with brain cells that fire off signals to progress the story in a manner that is engaging.Tom Van Allen and his lovely wife were on holiday by the Salton Sea, when one night a couple of guys in masks shot her dead in the hotel lobby (along with the clerk). since then Tom, has taken up a new identity as a street punk. Having gotten himself arrested (deliberately) he has been doing buy and bust for the cops. Each bust gets progressively bigger, and his plan is ultimately to bust the one who killed his wife, something bigger and more ironic than the audience could anticipate.First shots can be very important sometimes (I'm sure many of you have a favourite example). The Salton Sea opens on a man sitting on the floor of a room which is burning all around him, while he casually plays the trumpet. Next, we hear his narrative voice, "Who am I.......I'll let you decide" before the story flashes back quite a ways. If this is not enough to get you into the story (even the slightest bit), I dunno what is.The Salton Sea does its job well. It is still shy of greatness, but I'd say it is worth a peak.