Film Review – Savages

It’s been a long time since Oliver Stone last visited the gutter, perhaps dating back to 1999’s “Any Given Sunday” and its aggressive depiction of the NFL. After touching base with his sentimental side (2006’s “World Trade Center”) and his beloved political routines (2008’s “W.”), the filmmaker is back to sharpening his knives with “Savages,” adapted from the book by Don Winslow — and perhaps should’ve stayed as one. Expository to a numbing degree and needlessly graphic to obtain shock value, the feature is a failed cinematic masturbation session by a director who always forgets he’s capable of greatness. Coarse and half-asleep, “Savages” is a waste of Stone’s time and energy, falling back on tired habits of provocation best left buried with his 1994 sensorial blast, “Natural Born Killers.” Read the rest at Blu-ray.com