Salton Sea

The Salton Sea is a hypersaline artificial body of water accidentally created when engineers lost control of the Colorado River flow with which they were replenishing irrigation canals in California's Imperial Valley. For two years (1905-1907), the Colorado River was uncontrollably diverted from its natural course, filling the Salton Trough (part of the San Andreas Fault) before finally being set back on course. Since then, the Salton Sea continues to be replenished by irrigation runoff with no means of outflow except evaporation. It lies approximately 130 miles northeast of San Diego at the lowest point of the Sonoran Desert (278 feet below sea level). In that part of the world, the temperatures in summer, effectively April through November, can reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit, or even higher. In recent years, it has experienced massive fish and bird kills. In short, the Salton Sea is an apt metaphor for Hell ... which is just where Danny Parker/Tom Van Allen (Val Kilmer) finds himself at the beginning of this film, surrounded by flames. "The Salton Sea" is a highly stylized movie in which nearly all elements are executed well. The acting is generally excellent. Kilmer in the lead role does his best work since "Tombstone", and Vincent D'Onofrio, an actor for whom I don't ordinarily care, is utterly convincing as the demented crank dealer Pooh Bear. He was so good I forgot I was watching D'Onofrio. Excellent supporting performances are contributed by Peter Sarsgaard as Danny/Tom's best friend, Doug Hutchison and Anthony LaPaglia as the two L.A. County Sheriff's deputies for whom Danny snitches, and Adam Goldberg as tweaker-in-residence Kujo. Even the minor characters of Creeper (Ricky Trammell), Big Bill (Josh Todd), and the gun seller (Mpho Koaho) are portrayed to perfection. My only complaint is that Deborah Kara Unger simply wasn't able to pull off her part as the strung-out lowlife Colette, perhaps because she's just too beautiful to be convincing in such a role. As an anti-parallel, imagine Danny Trejo cast as James Bond.

Cinematography and editing were top notch, and the production design for this film was fantastic, from the diseased walls of Danny/Tom's apartment to the Level 4 biohazard lab in the 'Kujo's Big Heist' segment, with technicians wearing space suits that look like they came directly from Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey". Even the smallest details were done with style, such as the flames cascading down Danny/Tom's arm from the sunburst tattoo centered on the scar of his shoulder wound. The intricate plot of Tony Gayton's script requires the viewer's suspension of disbelief at some points, but not enough to detract significantly from the overall merit of the movie. This is a very strong feature film debut for director D.J. Caruso, and I look forward to his future work. One of the best films I've seen in the last three years, "The Salton Sea" is definitely worth watching. Rating: 8/10

Although having seen this seemingly obscure movie for the first time a few months ago, I truly feel like it makes my Top 15 list. Val Kilmer is convincing as a tweaker and has a crew around him that is priceless for their absolute comedic value (of course this is all with their brains on chemical overload). Also, Vincent D'onofrio is brilliant as Pooh Bear (especially when you consider his Law & Order CI character "Goran").

I like this film becuase of the complexity of the story, the graphic and sobering nature of Danny Parker's drug culture and the intermittent comedic value with Pooh Bear, Kujo, Finn and Creeper.

A must see if you have the chance to find this hardly publicized film.

The Salton Sea is an interesting film. It is a film that looks initially to be about drugs and the people who take them. Val Kilmer is in the lead role as a tweaker of crystal meth, and other substances, as well as a quite good sounding trumpet player. He begins by telling the viewer, via narration, explaining that he does not know who he really is and asks you to decide as we wind back through a recent period of his life to see how he came to where we first meet him.

The movie gets its title from a key event to the film occurred at the Salton Sea and Kilmer's character has a huge tattoo in memory of this.

What unravels is an intricate mystery that holds the viewers' attention but only just. The story is quite good but it is not in your face as one might expect a film of this acting calibre. It sunk at the cinema but maybe due to its art-house feel and advertising did not communicate this.

Vincent D'Onofrio is nearly unrecognizably as unpredictable drug dealer Pooh Bear, named as such because of his flat nose, and Danny Trejo is here as one of his scary henchmen.

If you are looking for a decent mystery, darkish thriller, some noir, drugs, love lost, and cops, then you could not go far wrong renting The Salton Sea.

I avoided watching this film for quite some time after its release. In part this was because what little I knew about the story hit a little too close to home in terms of substance abuse problems, and equally so because I'd generally read negative reviews about how bleak, depressing and meandering it was.

Boy was I wrong. As it turns out this is a stylishly photographed, atmospheric little film noir set in the world of crystal meth junkies and hoods. Val Kilmer registers a most impressive performance as a musician turned junkie turned.... well, I won't give anything more away.

The film's story line just seems to flow out toward the viewer in a languishing, yet engrossing stream, sucking you along in its undertow. Couple that with enough plot twists to catch your interest and this film makes for a perfect evening of quiet movie watching over a bowl of popcorn.

Give this little gem a chance. Odds are you won't be disappointed.

*Very Minor, Undetailed Plot Spoiler Warning*

Director D.J. Caruso has run into decent fame as of late after directing Eagle Eye, (Which I thought was pretty terrible by the way.), and the very popular Disturbia, (Which is basically a reversion of Hitchcock's classic thriller Rear Window.). However, I believe that he should be most recognized for this little gem of a film from his more distant past, 2002's The Salton Sea.

One of the greatest things about The Salton Sea is that it unravels in very unexpected ways. Wrapping up the viewer in some dark unknown mystery, that piece by piece becomes clearer and clearer as the intriguingly masked plot unfolds into a tale of drugs, dirty law enforcement, love and revenge. From the visuals, to the dialogue, from the acting, to the delivery, The Salton Sea really is a gritty, enjoyable, and somewhat unique piece of work.

Don't even bother with the plot hole scenarios that some people are conjuring up out of the thin air resting between their ears. The truth is that they just didn't pay enough attention to the details while watching this underrated little diamond in the rough. If you like dark, gritty mysteries, take your mind for a dive into The Salton Sea.

7/10