By now you've probably all seen the trailers for "Savages" (see above) the new Oliver Stone film coming next week to a theatre near you. The movie looks like a cross between Mr. Stone's "Natural Born Killers" and any number of Quentin Tarantino bloodbaths--John Travolta included. What you may not know is that "Savages" is actually based on a critically-acclaimed 2010 novel by crime fiction writer Don Winslow, whose newest just-released novel "The Kings of Cool" is a prequel of sorts to "Savages."
"Savages" isn't the sort of novel I typically gravitate to. But I've been so looking forward to seeing the film that I figured I might as well give the book a try before heading to the cineplex next weekend. I was pleasantly--even devilishly--surprised.
First off, this isn't a novel for everyone and it will never be recommended for anyone's book club. It tells the story of Ben and Chon, late-twentysomethings who run a successful marijuana operation in Laguna Beach, California, and their girlfriend O (short for Ophelia). When the Mexican Baja Cartel, headed by the formidable (and lonely) Elena la Reina decides to shift business operations north of the border, Ben and Chon find themselves in the middle of a vicious turf war between rival Mexican drug cartels. Over the course of its spitfire 300 pages, the reader is treated to everything from mass decapitations, double-double-crosses, farcically smart and funny dialogue, wild and often graphic sex scenes, and more than its fair share of semi-precocious pop culture references. Without giving anything away, the novel ends in a brutal old-fashioned Western-style shoot-em-up that is as taut as it is surprising.
Based on the movie's trailer, it seems Oliver Stone has adhered pretty closely to the overall flavor of the novel although it does appear he's taken some liberties with the plot. In the book, Elena (played by Salma Hayek) and O (Blake Lively) never actually meet and they certainly never have dinner together, but this appears to be the set-up for one of the trailer's funniest lines--a comment Elena makes about O's relationship status. I also recently read that all of Uma Thurman's scenes--as O's space-cadet, New Age spouting mother, Paqu--were cut from the film. This is a shame because O's and Paqu's scenes together in the novel, though brief, are often hilarious. This same article said Oliver Stone may restore these scenes in the director's cut to be released on Blu-Ray and DVD. We'll see...
If you're looking for a quick, violent, witty, and utterly unputdownable summer beach read, "Savages" may be one to take a look at. If you're a fan of early Bret Easton Ellis ("Less Than Zero" in particular), you'll love Don Winslow's writing style.
I, for one, will be first in line at the box office next weekend when "Savages" the film gets its national release. Until then, enjoy the trailer!
Ciao.
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