Savages - Review by Stu Coote
Savages , the latest film by Oliver Stone, tells the story of Californian drug dealers Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and Ben (Aaron Johnson) as they are planning to retire. Complications arise as a Mexican Cartel led by Elena (Salma Hayek) start to move in on Chon and Ben’s territory, which results in multiple kidnappings, shoot-outs and double crossings. Ultimately, Savages suffers from an inconsistent tone but has a few highlights to draw upon. Savages is the film adaptation of a novel by acclaimed crime author, Don Winslow ( The Power of the Dog, The Winter of Frankie Machine and Dawn Patrol ). I am a huge fan of Winslow’s work; he is able to lace the criminal world with grounded characters which make for more compelling stories. Being a story about drug dealers, it’s already a hard enough task getting the audience to sympathise with its protagonists. Failing to establish the title characters of Ben and Chon exacerbated this problem. Sure, we get a montage introducing their operation ...