Savages

Oliver Stone

Appropriate title for this violent, drug-fueled tour of the underbelly of Southern California. We follow a trio - two men and a woman- who sell and use high quality pot. They get muscled by a Mexican gang and complications ensue.

This played like Scarface ramped up a couple of notches. Stone uses every trick he knows to spice the film,  gives us a crackerjack editing job and left me with the sense that more was less. The story was generic and I didn't really care about the fate of any of the characters.

But I enjoyed the skill on display...especially John Revolting as a crooked DEA agent. He's become portly in his dotage but burned up the screen when he was on. Also, nice turns from Salma Hayek and Benicio del Toro.

Overall a mixed bag...worth seeing but mainly for the tech dazzles of a real master.

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