Some will argue that director Oliver Stone never left, but he hasn’t really shown up since around 2005. Unless you would like to count the tired Wall Street sequel or the 2008 left wing propaganda ridden film “W.” It’s been a long time he has directed something that makes you remember why you see his films, and ‘Savages’ does it for me.

Written and directed by Stone, ‘Savages’ tells the story of two Laguna Beach best friends Ben (Aaron Johnson)  and Chon (Taylor Kitsch) who couldn’t be more opposite but share the love of two things; growing/smoking/distributing marijuana and a beautiful woman Ophelia (Blake Lively). The film takes the unglamorous profession of dealing drugs and paints a picture of a sexy, glamorous, dangerous, enticing lifestyle complete with all night benders, fast cars, money to blow, and beautiful drug dealers and drug lords: enter Salma Hayek.

Ben and Chon are living a life of harmony and sun kissed afternoons until they get mixed up in the Mexican drug cartel, they want out but the head of the cartel Elena (Hayek) wants them dead. Her character was my favorite, ruthless and unapologetic with a soft spot and misplaced affection for Ophelia. Her performance was complex and believable in a take charge no nonsense role. I’m not sure what type of drugs (if any) Salma Hayek is doing but they are working for her. Creeping into her upper 40’s her body looked as good if not better than 24 year old Blake Lively’s. More people would be in prison if drug lords in Mexico looked like that!

Once the cartel realizes the best friends’ weakness is Ophelia they snatch her up and madness ensues. You don’t catch a breath from that point on. Even though Chon and Ben are jumping through flames, literally, to save her we all get the feeling they are really doing it to protect each other. The bromance they have going on far supersedes any woman or any consequence laid before them.

I would recommend this for girls and guys. A love story for the women and plenty of action for the men. If you are a little squeamish there are some gory parts and torture scenes that are very hard to watch. I almost yelled at the screen at the end, but the film took a surprising turn and landed with an ending I was satisfied with.

-PEANUT BUTTER

What did you think of the end? The end got mixed reviews let me know Brooke@bobandtheshowgram.com or tweet me @brookewhoo !