![]() The family includes Felix’s beautiful but unstable sister, Venetia (Alison Oliver), his comically out-of-touch father, Sir James (Richard E. So, when Oliver tells Felix a tragedy has occurred involving his drug-addicted parents, Felix invites him to spend the summer at his family palace, er, home. It’s obvious what’s in it for Oliver, but what’s in it for Felix? That’s less clear, but Oliver’s home life has been hard. ![]() Unless you count a flat tire on his bike, which is how Oliver meets him, lending his own bike so Felix can get to class. Played by Jacob Elordi, currently appearing as Elvis in “Priscilla,” Felix is gorgeous and effortlessly rakish he seems to have never encountered hardship. He has no earthly connection to the rest of the privileged, entitled (and in some cases, titled) student body, but aches to fit in.Īnd then aristocratic golden boy Felix appears, like a Greek god. In the Hogwarts-style dining hall, he can barely find someone to sit with - only a needy mathematics major. Oliver soon learns that life at Oxford isn’t about what you’ve read, but who you know. His bemused teacher tells him nobody does that. At his first tutorial, he announces he read all 50 books on the summer reading list. It’s 2006, and Oliver (Barry Keoghan, ever-watchable and unpredictable) is a freshman on scholarship, feeling out of his league. Here we meet our main character, Oliver Quick (and if that doesn’t take you straight back to Dickens, nothing will). (And let’s just say, the phrase “real estate porn” takes on an added dimension here.) Unsurprisingly, Fennell excels at lush production values, especially in presenting the imposing, seductive and somewhat debauched Saltburn - no, not a person, but a country manor! This is England, and a story of class dynamics, so it’s surely fitting that the star be a piece of real estate. After two hours of cringing and gasping in both awe and discomfort, we’re left admiring the “how” of what she’s doing but still figuring out the “why.” What’s missing, or muddled, is the message - and perhaps even more, the heart. It’s a demented riot.Make no mistake, the clever writing is here, as is the style, the sleek technique, and some terrific performances (Rosamund Pike is especially delicious in a supporting role). If you haven’t seen the flick yet, make it your business to correct that, ASAP. That her filmmaking on display in Saltburn is glorious and off the wall just makes it an added bonus that she’s lovely, to boot. ![]() Fennell is just the kind of creative person you could spend all day chatting with. We talk about why she wanted Saltburn to be her follow up to Promising Young Woman, the discourse around it, on-screen sex, gothic literature, and much more. We’re all over the place in this fun conversation, whcih I wouldn’t have any other way, I might add. Your jaw will drop, not just in shock, but admiration as well.īelow, you can see my discussion with Fennell. There are several sequences you’ll have to see in order to believe. Along with luscious cinematography from Linus Sandgren, Fennell has beauty and filth in equal measure on display. Her writing is just as sharp as in Promising Young Woman, which won her an Oscar, while her direction is far more ambitious. ![]() In my rave review out of the Telluride Film Festival ( here), I had the following to say about Fennell’s work:Įmerald Fennell is an incredibly brave filmmaker, pulling no punches with this flick. I spoke to her here about Promising Young Woman, but today, she’s back to talk Saltburn! The movie is wild in all of the right ways, befitting a singular spirit like Fennell. Her sophomore effort, Saltburn, is unlike anything else out there right now, which some other films can also claim, but this one really proves. Two features in, Emerald Fennell has become not just one of my favorite young filmmakers, but a creative talented that delights and fascinates me.
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