The Salton Sea is a very dark undertaking, ostensibly about the cringe-inducing lives of a group of crystal meth users. You're pretty well soaked in heinous drug lifestyles before the movie takes a complete left turn and proves to be not about wastrels but about a man's personal search for a pair of killers. That's all we can tell.

Val Kilmer stars in the film as a lowlife tweaker who is also a police snitch. Peter Sarsgaard plays his brainless but loyal friend, Deborah Kara Unger his abused neighbour. Also in the cast are Vincent D'Onofrio as a terrifying drug baron, Anthony LaPaglia and Doug Hutchison as cops. There are cameo appearances from Luis Guzman, B.D. Wong, Danny Trejo and other such actors whose mere presence in any story is almost always a good sign.

Much is mysterious in The Salton Sea, which is all about tension and atmosphere. Kilmer's character narrates the beginning of the movie -- which is a bit stagey -- but things pick up quickly thereafter. There is, for example, a visually amusing sequence about the history and creation of amphetamines. In another scene, a kid sells guns in a tricky bit that's like a K-Tel commercial. Several scenes are shot from a drug-users pov. It's all good, but only if you can handle extreme brutality and human cruelty.

The Salton Sea is littered with throw-away human beings and their seamy, drug-saturated lives, but, as it happens, not everybody in the story is quite what he or she appears to be. The story has some lovely plot twists.

This is a tale of revenge and redemption carried by some very watchable performances. Kilmer has to handle the dodgy role, as everything depends upon him, and he does a persuasive job. Peter Sarsgaard plays the vacant sidekick so well it's scary, and as the drug kingpin with a hole where his nose used to be, Vincent D'Onofrio is absolutely terrifying.

The Salton Sea has moments of inspired humour, though every scrap is of the darkest variety. Think Trainspotting meets Payback. Or some damn thing.

Now hear this: The Salton Sea is playing in one Toronto theatre only, and that theatre is the Paramount. For sales and marketing reasons too boring to go into, the movie may not be around very long. If you intend to see The Salton Sea to see what you can see, go right now, sailor.

And don't bring the kids.

(This film is rated R)

More Movie Reviews