“He was always trying to f*&k the way out of himself.  I have orgasms, he has wargasms.”

–O

What an awesomely cheesy line.  Reminds me of “Do you know what happens to a toad that’s struck by lightning?  The same thing that happens to everything else.” from the first “X-Men” film.

Despite how technically proficient Oliver Stone’s films tend to be, there is a rawness to them that’s refreshing, especially when compared to movies where most characters never even have a hair out of place.  By way of example, I think that there were three or four instances of saliva-stringy kisses given, which is interesting because most directors wouldn’t let such shots out of the editing booth.

Another odd thing is that there are two African-Americans in the cast, a female bicycle messenger (who was in the film all of a minute) and an ex-Navy SEAL (who wasn’t in the film significantly longer) but it somehow felt organic, unlike in the case of “This Is 40,” which felt like a documentary on the mating rituals of the white and privileged (which I have learned includes an inordinate amount of whining).

Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and Ben (Aaron Johnson) are pot growers, and Ophelia (Blake Lively) is the third part of their ménage à trois.  They are so good at what they do that they draw the attention of the Mexican mob, that wants to move in on their business.

Chon, being a former SEAL,  isn’t afraid to meet any threat to their business or their persons with violence, and is the fighter of the group.  Ben is a brilliant pacifist responsible for the potency of their drugs, who when the film begins is returning from Africa, where he was doing volunteer work.

Ophelia, or O, is there just to look pretty and be taken hostage when the plot requires it.

The Mexican mobsters are lead by Elena (Salma Hayek), who isn’t accustomed to not getting things her way.  Her enforcer is Lado (Benicio Del Toro), who’s a pretty scuzzy character.

What’s interesting is that Oliver Stone himself has a cameo, which is really cool in a Hitchcock kind of way.  By my recollection, that’s three of his own films that he has made an appearance in, though I suspect that if I pay closer attention to his filmography I will find more.

I would be amiss if I didn’t mention John Travolta as Dennis, an ethically-challenged FBI agent who doesn’t quite get what he deserves in the end.

I missed “Savages” when it was in the theater, so I am glad to have caught it via iTunes.  I enjoyed it, though at two hours and 22 minutes, it could have used a bit of trimming.