Savages

Savages is an incredibly well shot drama that centers around two marijuana dealers, Ben and Chon. They reside in gorgeous Southern California, very close to the Mexican border and the drug cartels that have been seen so often in newspaper clippings across thar region of the country. It's an Oliver Stone production, which means it's relatively heavy with social commentary.

The greatest takeaway I had after seeing, Savages, comes from it's title. A savage is defined by Merriam-Webster's dictionary, as a brutal, rude, and/or unmannerly person, typically belonging to a primitive society. It's simple to take this definition and apply it to the members of the intricate drug cartel in the movie, most notably Lado, Benicio Del Toro's character or Elena, who's played by Salma Hayek. But, the message that I think Oliver Stone, the movies director, is trying to send is that relativity, is vital to consider when observing someone who you might deem to be a "savage". Things are very different with Mexican law enforcement, underworld organizations, and there are obviously many cultural differences between societal norms and customs, than there are in United States. So, you must be framing your viewpoint/opinion around the other factors that come into play in the total equation. Of course decapitating individuals for any reason, is an extremely act, but there are a lot of gray areas, which the movie does a solid job of sort of exposing.

Unfortunately, this is not one of Mr. Stone's best efforts, which is not to say that it's not a good movie. It was probably shaved down about 15-25 minutes for running time, which cut out some scene that better established the relationship between Ben and Chon. But, I personally wanted to see more reasons behind why their business and relationship with was able to work so well.

Savages, is a cast well and does include some very noteworthy performances. One in particular that stands out, is Del Toro. He could have just been put onscreen with those dark glasses and the look, that he so often donned in the film, and he would've given people nightmares. Hayek is inspired in her role as the kingpin of the Mexican drug empire. Taylor Kitsch, who plays Chon, redeems himself or the dismal box office takes of his previous two 2012 movie efforts in this one as well. Blake Lively turns in a better performance than she did in, The Town, and John Travolta seemed very authentic as, DEA agent Dennis. Demián Bichir and Emile Hirsch have minor roles, but both do a fantastic job of making those few minutes count towards making this an even more watchable movie.

Savages, might not be a movie you'll want to catch at the theaters, especially with so many other great films vying for moviegoer attentions, but it's a cinematographer's dream, with a very well written script that'll probably have your head spinning a few times, and if you don't mind too much blood, it's a fun way to spend 2 hours.