While Werner Herzog continues to be a singular and acclaimed voice in the documentary realm, when it comes to his narrative features, it’s a whole different story. It’s been a while since he’s made a truly great fictional feature, and even though he’s been on a prolific tear, the results haven’t added up. We’re still waiting on any kind of news regarding a U.S. release of “Queen Of The Desert” starring Nicole Kidman and Robert Pattinson (which didn’t receive very many good reviews on the festival circuit), and then there’s “Salt And Fire,” featuring two great talents in Michael Shannon and Gael Garcia Bernal, which has only managed to find a home stateside with tiny distributors XLRator Media, which speaks volumes.
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Still, we’re holding out some hope for “Salt And Fire,” even if it might not be a homerun. The eco-thriller about a scientist and CEO who must come together as a volcano threatens to explode (incidentally, Herzog’s volcano documentary “Into The Inferno” hits Netflix this month; it seems to be a topic on the director’s mind) was called flawed but nonetheless distinctive in our review out of TIFF.
The United Nations has sent a scientific delegation, led by researchers Laura (Veronica Ferres) and Fabio (Gael García Bernal), to investigate rare South American geological formations. But as soon as they land, the crew is kidnapped by minions of rogue businessman Matt Riley (Michael Shannon), who has his own agenda when it comes to environmental protection. Deep inside his compound, Laura becomes separated from her fellow explorers and drawn deeper into Riley’s world, but try as she might, she can’t predict his final plan.
“Salt And Fire” opens in France on December 7th, and will hit theaters here next year. [Allocine]