Phillip Noyce on Salt

Salt, this fortnight's big-ticket Hollywood release, sees Angelina Joliereturn to the action heroine territory she mined in the Lara Croft films, Mr and Mrs Smith and Wanted. Jolie plays hyper-athletic, tough-as-nails Central Intelligence Agency agent Evelyn Salt, who has to clear her name after being accused of spying for the Russians. The recent discovery of a Russian espionage network in New York City will no doubt boost the film's box-office prospects. Salt'sAussie director Phillip Noyce has previously made Dead Calm, Rabbit-Proof Fence and The Bone Collector. In a telephone interview from Washington DC, Noyce said that Salt, which is set in 2011, is a sure-shot draw, especially because of its fearless heroine.

Isn't the idea of Russian sleeper spies outdated?
I thought it was a great idea, even though it seemed a little fanciful. Who covers sleeper spies? But I've always thought that they're obvious human weapons, placed in another country to pretend, while being a known enemy. As I started to research former CIA and KGB agents, I realised that this wasn't so fanciful. Just a few weeks ago [in July] in America, a lot of people were sent back to Russia in a prisoner exchange - they were thought to be sleeper spies in real life.

In an earlier interview, you described the older James Bond films as comical. How believable is Salt?
Audiences have become familiar with CGI tools, where you can virtually make up characters, and draw up any explosion or car or plane crash. We're starting at a different point, where the audiences are refusing to suspend their disbelief because they can see the mechanics of it all and work out the artifice. We have an old-fashioned approach to stunts unlike the CGI world, where no one's life or ribs are in danger. In Salt, the audience will realise that Angelina really put her life at risk.

Jolie has made several action films in the past.
Salt is nothing like in Tomb Raider or in Mr & Mrs Smith. It's very much a popcorn movie meant to entertain, but hopefully, people will believe what they're seeing on screen. When they watch arguably the most beautiful woman in the world, this enlarged Barbie up there, it will be extraordinarily entertaining. It takes the right woman, and Angelina has the enviable combination of athleticism and beauty. I would say that the time for the female action star has arrived, and it's Angelina Jolie.

She did all the stunts by herself?
She worked with stunt co-ordinator Simon Crane [who also worked on Hancock, Jumper and Quantum of Solace], and a stunt team showed her exactly what to do, wearing harnesses, and testing the dangerous situations. But Angelina did the stunts for the camera, she did all of it.

How dangerous did it get?
For instance, she had to jump from one vehicle to another on a freeway, which was pretty dangerous. The skilful stunt drivers and support team made sure she wasn't injured, which would have been a catastrophe.
 
Are you planning extended special features for the DVDs?
Not only will we see the making-of, but when the DVD comes out, there will be two versions of the film - two different cuts. That will be followed a year later by a completely different third version. So you're going to get three movies - each with a different ending. Jaideep Sen

Saltopens in Australia on Thurs 19 Aug.

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