Lack of good storyline.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

D.J. Caruso's The Salton Sea is like two great films for the price of one. On one hand you have elements of a zany, off the wall meth addiction screwball comedy (not unlike Jonas Ackerlund's Spun, which I will be reviewing as well). Those comedic elements are wrapped in a very tragic, violent and vengeful film noir, with a brooding, paced melancholy that chills the heart. Val Kilmer stars as Danny Parker, a scumbag tweaker who snitches out fellow addicts to two corrupt narcs (Doug Hutchison and Anthony Lapaglia, equal parts hilarious and scary). But he's also Tom Van Allen, a stoic trumpet player who has been driven to this life of unending nocturnal madness through bloody and unfortunate circumstance. I won't say any more than that or I'll spoil the plot. Kilmer plays both sides of the coin willingly, and in a way is perfect for both aspects of this character, as he has always had a flair for both mournful gravitas (The Saint, Batman) and hyperactive lunacy (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Willow). Vincent D'Onofrio almost steals the film away from him though, playing a deranged crank dealer named Pooh Bear, who I quote "snorted so much gack they had to chop his nose off". He is a plastic nosed monster with a bleached blonde cut and a chilling nasally whine that produces nightmares. Vancouver born Deborah Kara Unger gives a restrained performance as Danny's down on her luck neighbour. The supporting cast rocks it, with appearances from Meat Loaf, Luis Guzman, R. Lee Ermey, Peter Saarsgard, Adam Goldberg, Glenn Plummer and Danny Trejo. I've heard people whine about this film being style over substance. Well, when you have a style this distinct, a score this good, a color palette this gorgeous, so what if the visual and auditory aesthetic takes over a bit? It still has enough exposition and character motivation to surge forward with purpose. A very underrated, delightfully off kilter late 90's noir entry well worth watching.

Have you ever thought about being someone else? Just leaving behind everything you know and diving headfirst into a new name with new friends and new interests? Would that really erase who you were before? The story begins with several drug users in the midst of a binge. The narrator, "Danny Parker" (played by Val Kilmer) is also the main character. The drug that he and his companions are and have been consuming for several days is methamphetamine. "Danny" (Kilmer) then gives a brief editorial describing the history of methamphetamine, from its initial invention to the changing profile of the user over the years from kamikaze pilots to housewives to truck drivers and motorcycle gangs. We are then returned to the drug den where one of the users, known as Cujo (played by Adam Goldberg) screams to the entire room that their supply has run out. "Danny" and another addict "Jimmy the Finn" (played by Peter Sarsgaard) leave to buy more from a user and dealer that Jimmy is acquainted with. After "Danny" has returned with the drugs and the binge runs its course, he informs on the dealer to officers Gus Morgan (played by Doug Hutchison) and Al Garcetti (played by Anthony LaPaglia). His dealings with law enforcement are a secret he keeps from his fellow users. Once he's alone and in his own apartment, however, we are shown yet another secret which is kept not only from those he injects methamphetamine with, but also the police he informs to. He sheds his jewelry, washes out the Mohawk he regularly sports, and then states to the empty room that his name is Tom Van Allen and that he's a trumpet player.This is an amazing movie. Kilmer manages to perfectly portray a loving husband and trumpet player and then seamlessly transform into a derelict drug abuser. LaPaglia and Hutchison, as characters whose true nature and motives are not known at first, put forth performances that are almost as compelling, if not equally so. Deborah Kara Unger as the one character that Kilmer bears his soul to brings an entirely different dimension and resolution to the story. By this point, it should be obvious that this film isn't for everyone. Nonetheless, I highly recommend it.

The Salton Sea is utterly fantastic. It's amazing it took me this long to watch it, it's an instant classic.What makes the movie so fantastic is the amount of content and the variety of said content that is displayed. It's gritty, yet intellectual. Slow, yet paced perfectly. The story unravels slowly, yet the story happens to fast. I think it's safe to say, that the complexity of this movie can not be understated. What you are getting here is the total package. From the gorgeous delivery and beautiful cinematography, to the intricate details from the culmination of the plot. The thought engrossing script, and the perfectly acted epic story tells the tale of redemption, revenge, heartbreak, sorrow, loss, and glory. Val Kilmer delivers his best roll of his entire life. This movie will be relevant for the next 100 years. Do yourself a favor, and add this to your must watch list.

The drug world is a crazy one: a world of strait and dirty, bullets and blood shed, secrecy and surveillance, and sometimes life or death. If you were one of the few people to follow David Simon's the Wire on Cable TV, you'll get the idea completely. The Saltan Sea, though occasionally flirting close too close to the line of staged plotting, feels surprisingly convincing, and down to earth. Though I wouldn't call it a super smart motion picture, it does have a brain, with brain cells that fire off signals to progress the story in a manner that is engaging.Tom Van Allen and his lovely wife were on holiday by the Salton Sea, when one night a couple of guys in masks shot her dead in the hotel lobby (along with the clerk). since then Tom, has taken up a new identity as a street punk. Having gotten himself arrested (deliberately) he has been doing buy and bust for the cops. Each bust gets progressively bigger, and his plan is ultimately to bust the one who killed his wife, something bigger and more ironic than the audience could anticipate.First shots can be very important sometimes (I'm sure many of you have a favourite example). The Salton Sea opens on a man sitting on the floor of a room which is burning all around him, while he casually plays the trumpet. Next, we hear his narrative voice, "Who am I.......I'll let you decide" before the story flashes back quite a ways. If this is not enough to get you into the story (even the slightest bit), I dunno what is.The Salton Sea does its job well. It is still shy of greatness, but I'd say it is worth a peak.