Savages: Review By Zak Lee Ferguson

Oliver Stone......oh Oliver Stone......his films can be artistic, they can be narrative-wise driven, they can be chaotic, bolshie and raw to the core for a mainstream audience- Natural Born Killers and U-turn and his experimental differences in formatting in a single scene such- JFK and NBK being one of them having used 8mm and VHS reeled film. Not only is it used in an artistic and ingenious way but it cohorts and disorientates singularities in the feature- a scenario a person a certain vibe or dynamic. Here in Savages the same is toyed with- since his mega budgeted Alexander and disposable World Trade Centre- in my opinion- I find it holds nothing more than being preachy and trying to realign his necessity and comforts with the critics of America- a bit of a bum kisser I felt and too, too early and neither an interesting well thought out manipulated film- but back onto Savages. Stones attachment to raw unpredicted features that differ from every single genre piece he does and more he feels oddly the only circ*mvent and administered mainstream arty type- allowed to let loose- and here he tries to tie in normality and sequence and connectives with the absurdist that he is.

His last feature Money never Sleeps to me was precise well thought out- a gripping thriller-esque calculated ensemble piece, tied and knotted and key chained and linked and always a-gleaming in your eye till it breaks and all the chain reactions let a loose.

Here neither sophisticated well provoked known ideals are portrayed-Stone has a controversial streak and knowledge and its common to all his drug habits and escapades so the idea to force the man himself to gel together a formulated well portrayed outlook on the industry he finds so well fitted along with his occupation as director and its way ward ways and odd metabolism I found myself jumping for joy- a Stone film being what it is- a f*cked up crack pot ride.

Is it any good is it worth my while to critique the uncritiqueable (my word), yes the story goes along the lines of being two best buddies share a love and are the best sellers in the weed rotation and growth - movement- in Laguna Beach, California.

Furthered everyone's in on some action or double cross- fuelled by a chunky wayward crazed Benicio Del Toro the only thoroughly excitable along with the whimpering Travolta- with Aaron J. and Taylor. K they do not click, they are discorporate AND Aaron can act Taylor can tense. Also by the way Aaron Johnson's facial hair sucks. The acting chops don't shine with some very quotable but damned lines from the film- its cheesy, crass, its all over the plac,e it flits between reality based drama, thriller, e-induced fusion- f*cking head trip to a malformation of Stones mentality- he is a director or raw and nurtured opinion and verified means but this film doesn't staple him as an later of wit, humor, knowledge, sophistication, information, power or anything positive in his lines of script writing nor directing- in ways the editing is shambolic but both hasty and jittered but fun, along with some glorified Stone moments-Stone needs to stick with one outlook and I find with a script this unmanageable the fusion-zig zagging tail lining ecstasy trip fast sharp edged edit instead of trying to verify it in so many formations. The narrative asks for a serious outlook but it ends up laughable because not of the edit but the script itself.

What a Stoner...Oliver Stone......oh Oliver Stone...Creatively it could have been bombastic-moments it is- others it isnt-because a Stone film without a methodical outlook nor without a lineated outline nor a thought out sequence where the formatting changes can change or shape the story- instead the edit just livens this dull, uninteresting cheesy crass mess and puts it in as a almost passable feature.