Savages Review

Justin and I saw Savages on July 7, 2012. This was an intense, emotional thrill ride that kept you on the edge of your seat for the entire film. The plot involves a love triangle, drug empires, family relationships, and secret partnerships. Each piece of the puzzle fits together nicely and all gets meshed together for the finale. Ben and Chon are best friends and share a relationship with Ophelia, but she is referred to as O throughout the movie. They are a tight knit group as is evident from the opening moments. Ben wants out of the business, while Chon, who is an army man serving stints in Iraq and Afghanistan which led to the business they are currently involved with believes this is a good business. Elena Sanchez needs them for her operation which also includes Lado and Alex Reyes. They go to extreme measures to keep them involed, which leads to the kidnapping of O. What follows is a chaotic adventure with a corrupt DEA agent, Elena and the Baja Cartel, and two men trying to get back the woman they love. There are double crosses, plot twists, and teasers that keep you into the movie. The performances were very good for the most part. I was very impressed with Aaron Johnson as Ben. He did such a great job struggling with the violence of the business they entered into. Very well done!! I thought Taylor Kitsch did well as the hot head and the one acting on impulse to counterbalance the negotiator/peacemaker in Ben. Blake Lively did a tremendous job as O, and I felt that her casting was perfect for the role. I knew that I would like Salma Hayek's Elena from the start. She did such an awesome job as the boss of the whole operation with a tough attitude, but still maintaining her motherly affection for her daughter Magdalena (who becomes a major part of the plot). Salma Hayek is definitely one of the legit most gorgeous women of all time as well. There was a scene where she was having a conference call with Ben and Chon and showed how devious her character can be with Chon and his gun. The suspense in the scene was amazing!! The suspense would continue throughout the movie. Benicio Del Toro as Lado was insane and made you hate his character. He was definitely a true villain. I felt that the tensions between Elena and Lado, as well as his creepy demeanor towards O were very well done. The man did what the role asked for. Also, Demian Bichir played Alex Reyes. He reminded me of his Esteban Reyes character in Weeds. John Travolta knew exactly what to do with the role and it worked. His role as DEA Agent Dennis is alot of what connects the stories. We get some intense scenes of violence which fit in perfectly with the tone of the movie. All the stories of the individual characters connected well and flowed to the conclusion. They approached the ending in a unique way and I thought it worked well. The first ending is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. The second ending worked well as it still established the bond between the three leads, but the way it was presented in the first ending was really great. I think Oliver Stone was on top of his game with this movie. Usually, I kind of scoff at his work, but he impressed me here. I think alot of it has to do with the fact that the stories were well done, and the actors were cast well. I definitely give this a 5/5. I can't wait to get this one on DVD. It was a good movie filled with great performances, memorable scenes, great dialogue, and connection between stories.