User reviews

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

Excellent adult thriller. Stylish, intense, funny and unexpectedly moving. Intricately plotted (it will always be one step ahead of you) and fluidly, inventively directed (including a unique twist on Eastwood's classic "Did I fire six bullets...or only five?" line). Well-acted, especially by Kilmer. The less you know about it beforehand the better, though, so I'll just add this: this film is not always pleasant to watch, but it has personality and will take you on quite a journey. Don't read about it, see it. (***)

*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

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.

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.

Val Kilmer in Salton Sea is about as close to home as anything for me in this movie. He looks like just another guy on the streets of So Cal back in the 80's, looking for a quick high, with no idea of consequence. Salton Sea is a beautiful location that many don't know of. Kilmer's performance carries one through the movie effortlessly. From the intricacies of the actual life he portrays to the unshown details of the tenderness of the characters heart, "Salton Sea" delivers a complete package of salty and sweet. I would have never rented the movie had it been any other actor. The only reason I was drawn to the movie, was the title, because so few people know of the hidden gem in the California desert, and I had been there as a child. The theme was a place that I unfortunately also visited and I feel that the movie delivers a compelling reason for people to think before the act. To realize that there is always more than meets the eye.

This is a moody, creepy thriller which reminds me a great deal of Philip K Dick's 'A Scanner Darkly' in some respects. Val Kilmer isn't exactly amazing (is he ever?) but he gets the job done. Most of the movie's high points come from the portrayal of the mindset of the drug subculture. Again, I'm reminded so much of PKD's comment about kids "playing in the road" even after they watched their friends getting run over one after another.

A couple of the flashback/hallucination sequences were a little confusing, but I got the general drift. The film has a seedy, nasty, slightly hallucinogenic quality to it. Kilmer seems slightly out of place - not messed up enough. Actually, that ends up making sense, but I won't give anything away.

Not a great film, but different and stylish enough to deserve the 7.2 average it currently enjoys here. That's about what I'd give it.

Also nice to see a drug/crime thriller where everything isn't blowing up every 30 seconds.

Oh, I forgot to mention: there are a few scenes in the film that are really darn funny. How that doesn't ruin the mood of the thing, I don't know, because it's a bit like laughing at a car wreck.

Val Kilmer has made some of the most peculiar and daring career choices of any actor now working. His decision to appear in the disastrous remake of "The Island of Dr. Moreau" with Marlon Brando could have sunk him once and for all, save for his exceedingly nasty (and accurate) impersonation of Brando, tics and all, late in the film. Now, as his features have thickened and he is well past his pretty boy phase ( something he can apparently give up, and Tom Cruise wouldn't dare: we might notice there was no talent underneath the face cream), he is assuming roles that make full use of this brutalized looks. SALTON SEA is a magnificent performance in a wholly satisfying film, with Kilmer being fully assisted by a dazzling supporting cast. There are elements of classical balance in this story that make it not merely intellectually stimulating but emotionally moving. It has everything: great acting, great writing, and great directing. Don't miss it.

Val Kilmer plays Danny Parker who also goes by the name of Tom Van Allen in this pulpy noirish thriller/black comedy which has some obvious nods to Quentin Tarantino and David Lynch.

The film has a labyrinth narrative where we are not sure if Parker a Jazz trumpeter is hovering somewhere between life and death. Parker is also a speed freak who hangs out with the lowlife and grotesques in the south Los Angeles crystal meth scene but as the film goes on we learn that Parker is a man looking for revenge for the murder of his wife.

The film is confusing until the real plot emerges, at least it has decent supporting players such as Vincent D'Onofrio who puts a memorable performance as a demented dealer with a false nose.

The climactic shootout plays homage to Dirty Harry.

This film was an absolute treat! an amazingly enjoyable thrill ride! if your one of those that switches a film off, when you see drug abuse, i warn you, don't switch off this, because your sincerely missing an excellent, well casted, well directed film! a must see for anybody so long as none of the themes in the film could offend you, one of the best films here of 2002! an excellent cast of Val Kilmer, the Beautiful Deborah Kara Unger, Luis Guzmán, and Peter Sarsgaard, with an excellent character in the film called Pooh Bear played by Vincent D'Onofrio, He's wicked! With lots of twists and turns, and a solid story to follow, everything gets put together, with a great blend of humor. Don't rent it, when you see it, buy it, you wont be disappointed.

Every so often you see a movie that leaves you feeling thoughtful, one with an atmosphere that has you so absorbed that you feel like you've lived the experience. The Salton Sea left me that way. This movie 'had me' from the beginning to the end, and by the end, I felt like I had been on a long, interesting journey. Something that might be found unlikable about the movie is the constant monologue, which some might find to be cliché, But Val Kilmer speaks them so well that not once did I find them to be so. The great story line and superb acting makes it a solid movie, one that does not evoke questions of credibility. It is the best movie I've seen in a long time. I give it a 10.

The Salton Sea has got to be THE film made with tweakers in mind. That said, this is a very interesting and visually dazzling film both in the way it was shot and in the way that it brings the characters in it to life. Adam Goldberg's "heist" plan is a prime example of this. Overall this movie is very well done and it is destined to be a cult film. Val Kilmer does a better than average job and Vincent D'Onofrio is amazing as usual. He has got to be the most underrated actor of all time. Bottom Line: If you like offbeat movies, then check this one out.

This movie was great, this time I'm actually glad I took the Blockbuster guy's advice and rented it. It's not like LOTR or a Rocky movie where you come out feeling like you're on top of the world, but you will feel spun like by a great rollercoaster. I wouldn't say it starts off slow, but it definitely eases you into things, then move on to the drug fests and the story starts to take shape, but without really revealing itself all at once. As you watch more, you get that much more involved and gripped. I found myself really captured by the movie to the point of having anxiety myself in some of the Poo bear scenes. So towards the end I was strapped to my chair waiting to see what was going to happen, I did care about Kilmer's character, and I loved it how the movie keeps you guessing and on your seat till the end. Being such a dark movie though, it wouldn't have been so memorable for me if the ending had been different.

Kilmer's performance was good and he held his own, but Vincent D'Onofrio was brilliant in his role of Poo bear. I also liked the scene with Bobby `hobby' as it was definitely memorable.

I loved this movie, but as other reviews have said, if you are faint of heart then this movie is not for you. It is dark, druggy, very pawn scum of life kind of thing, and you watch it with your guts in a knot for some of the movie, but it's worth the knot I tell you! Did I mention that I liked the ending too? Even though it was a dark movie overall, I left with the sensation of `Damn that was a good movie…'

It's a pretty decent thriller.

Enough twists and curves to keep you guessing till the end. Not bad performances. Val Kilmer is as good (or as bad) as he is in other movies. He plays the bereaved husband whose wife has been killed in a robbery fiasco and now he is vindictive towards the perpetrators. Vincent D'Onofrio as the eccentric drug dealer and Doug Hutchison (remember the negative guy in the Green Mile?) as the corrupt cop are fear-and-loathe-some.

Good for a one-time-watch.

(Originally posted @ weirdo-on-movies.blogspot.com)

The Salton Sea is directed by D. J. Caruso and written by Tony Gayton. It stars Val Kilmer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Peter Sarsgard, Doug Hutchinson, Anthony LaPaglia, Debora Kara Unger, Adam Goldberg and Luis Guzmán. Music is scored by Thomas Newman and cinematography by Amir Mokri.

Danny Parker (Kilmer) is hanging out with a bunch of methamphetamine users, apparently in an effort to numb the pain of his one time life that saw his wife murdered. Or is he? The word of mouth for it was strong, but no sooner did it hit cinemas than it disappeared off the face of the earth. However, the cult cinema world is often a vibrant place to lurk, enter there and you find The Salton Sea, a wonderfully tricksy and off beat neo-noir awash with misery, revenge, redemption and odd ball characters that are either stuck in purgatory, or heading to nowhereville.

Protagonist Danny Parker leads the film, a man whose identity is fractured after being dealt a blow from the hands of fate, very much in limbo mentally, he none the less has goals to achieve, nothing is never quite as it seems until director Caruso wants us in on the side-shifts. Danny is often in the company of danger and weird characters, from a hopped up harpoon wielding loon, to a no nose psycho (too much meth up the nose will make you lose it kids), via dirty cops and meth heads, it's a world of unease, the twisty plot drawing the viewer in with a kinky smile on its face.

Caruso also pulls off the neat trick of placing humour in this off kilter world without hurting the dramatic harshness of the thematics. There's a quite brilliant sequence that shows a botched crime being attempted by the meth head crew, this we watch at the same time as they discuss about actually pulling the crime off. That it involves a stool sample from Bob Hope should tell you all you need to know about the intelligence of the wannabe perps! Caruso's camera is fluid and he uses certain neo-noir visual tricks of the trade as well (time lapses etc), and he also has a knack for varying the mood without averting the slowly bubbling to the surface pace that the story requires.

Kilmer is superb, perfectly low-key, there is no need for rage, the yearning for revenge and redemption, for identity, is brought out via calmly delivered dialect, and it's very affecting. D'Onofrio as Pooh Bear, the afore mentioned no nose fella, steals the movie with another of his off the planet nut-jobs. Elsewhere, Sarsgard is as appealing as he has ever been as Danny's stoner best mate, Hutchinson and LaPaglia cut fine figures as dirty cops, while Guzmán and Danny Trejo leave an impressively grungy mark. The only disappointment is the lack of screen time for Kara Unger, a fine actress, she is playing what turns out to be a critical femme fatale role, but really we needed more of her. It's a rare misstep in an otherwise cracking neo-noir that is highly recommended to fans of similarly devilishly fun pictures. 8.5/10

This is a truly bizarre film, but Val Kilmer is good enough in it for me to forgive him that slab of fecal matter entitled "The Saint." In my youth I touched the middle-class periphery of the drug world, and my experience says that the characters here are very true. It's quite violent, with not many chuckles to break the tension, but I found the story development and conclusion to be quite satisfactory, and would recommend this film to anyone who's prepared for a look at a decidedly dark way of life. Read a story synopsis before viewing, and don't rent it when grandma stays over for the weekend. Many scenes will be disturbing to a sensitive nature.

This excellent film contains not only an outstanding performance by Val Kilmer (as the straight yuppie Tom Van Allen who becomes Danny Parker, the emotional pain-induced newbie tweaker), but also an important message that is lost on most of society. Before universally and dismissively judging someone who is a substance abuser, consider that there are some (perhaps many?) people who have taken the path taken by Tom Van Allen in "The Salton Sea" and that they have done so to escape the unimaginable pain of loss. This under-rated, under-appreciated film deserved much more praise then it has received, as do many in its cast including Kilmer - in one of his best performances - as well as fellow tweaker Peter Sarsgaard, and physically and emotionally abused Deborah Unger. There was a time in my life when I was a no-drugs poster child of whom Nancy Reagan would have been proud. The older I get, the more I realize just how much life has to do with the choices - both good and bad - that we make and that all of these choices have purpose and, perhaps, value.

Strange, darkly moody tale of revenge, murder, drugs, insanity, freaks, losers....and one all around good dude. I like films that come at me from left field which is why I liked this one; not to mention one of my fave actors being in it [Val]. It's one the viewer has to just keep watching to finally figure out. Oh, and there was plenty of gunplay for all you full auto freaks.

I have two memories of The Salton Sea from before I ever saw it. First, it was always in the cheap box at the movie store, and second, I liked the cover.

So one Christmas, I picked a copy up for a friend, having heard good things. I could not have imagined what a strong film it was going to be, and it has been a personal favorite of mine ever since.

It has all the pieces of a great film: an original story told through intense direction, a unique, perfectly acted main character(Kilmer's best by far); a fantastic villain (Vincent D'onofrio's masterpiece performance) and a brutally powerful ending.

If you are in the mood for a fast, entertaining, dark, powerful and stylish neo-noir vengeance story; The Salton Sea is for you.

Get a copy, you won't be let down, everything is absolutely first rate; and the film approaches greatness.

This film begins so much like the classic 1940s film noir - complete with the nightmarish setting, the slow, mysterious first-person monologue, and the flashback sequences - that at first it might seem almost too "imitation." But don't be turned off! This one sets new high standards for the genre.

No matter how you define "film noir," this film offers the best of the classic style along with a brilliant, modern theme. Yes, it's one of those dramas in which all the players are "bad guys" in one way or another. And yes, it is also about squalid, tragic, miserable lives and situations that are fascinating on screen but where we wouldn't want to go in real life. And finally, it follows the time-honored plot formula involving treacherous motives, decadence and corruption, and double-cross -- and, of course, the surprise ending.

I can't say this movie is for everyone. It's a film for adults who can appreciate a complicated, sinister thriller. The backdrop of urban slums and rural blight might be depressing to some, but I find it to be an absolutely brilliant and essential backdrop to the story. Is the violence excessive? Probably, but that's usually the case these days. In any case, it isn't pointless.

The dialogue (and the continuous first-person narrative) is top-notch. The characters are morbidly fascinating and unforgettable. This film's trip into the seamy world of the tweekers (meth heads) and its ominous tale of revenge make for a truly great film.

The Salton Sea commences in classic neo noir fashion, camera looking down at a man slumped upon the floor of a burning room, his mournful notes dancing in the air amidst charring money, wearied voice over inviting the audience to make their own mind up as to the events that led to this pretty pass. By and by the film enters less into the expected machinations of love, money and deceit, but a story of a sad man and his life among the terminally addicted, a milieu rather well evoked. Where all too many films about drugs mist along in glum pointlessness, bask in dumb revelry or wallow in bathos The Salton Sea gets things rather right, stylised for sure but in the aid of a well handled mood, endless days of sunless light, warmth of hazy friendship, excitable chatter and mad ideas. Its pleasing stuff, quirky and sympathetic drama tinged with offbeat humour and ever laced through with disturbing undercurrents of danger, with an eclectic cast handling their roles well. Much of the film is really pretty swell actually, which makes the final block all the more of a let down when the plot comes together. Though well executed things come together in regrettably typical fashion, eschewing the potential for thoughtful and interesting fusion of noir elements and drugged out characters, its fun in its quirky and violent fashion but a bit of a let down really. Still, assured direction from DJ Caruso (who appears not to have made anything worthwhile since) and plenty of good turns keep the film afloat. Val Kilmer is powerfully haunted as the hero with dark secrets and darker past, his star power subsumed into a pretty interesting character. Vincent D'Onofrio is an unhinged blast as a dealer with a fake nose, Deborah Kara Unger well worn and wearied as a beleaguered neighbour, Peter Saarsgard brings light as a friendly addict, Anthony LaPaglia and Doug Hutchison are hard nosed cops and there's even a nice restrained R. Lee Ermey cameo. A fine mixture, and they gel well together making for a smooth, interesting ride. With a better ending this could almost be a minor modern favorite of mine, but as it stands is merely pretty darned decent. Strong 7/10 from me, worth a look.