Film Review: Saltburn – Emerald Fennell’s second outing certainly leaves an impression on you

Hello readers,

Last night I saw Saltburn, the sophomore film directed by Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) who has also been seen lately in the Barbie film as Midge, the pregnant doll.

Saltburn has had a lot of buzz from its debut at TFF in Colorado, US before making its European premiere at the BFI London Film Festival and a final appearance at SXSW Sydney. It has now been released worldwide in cinemas. This is unusual for a film that starts its life in the festival circuit but with such a star-studded cast and the company LuckyChap Entertainment behind it (Margot Robbie and husband Tom’s venture), there was no doubt that this film would not put bums on seats.

I had heard of most of the main cast for various other films: veterans of the industry Richard E. Grant and Rosamund Pike have graced British screens many a time; Aussie favourite Jacob Elordi has been making a splash in Euphoria and recent release, Priscilla; I saw Archie Madekwe’s big break in Gran Turismo earlier this year and Irish actors Alison Oliver and Barry Keoghan have been featured on both the small and big screens, respectively.

I will be discussing the ending so spoiler warning if you have not yet had the chance to see the film.

Saltburn (2023)

The films opens on a famous Oxford landmark, the Radcliffe Camera. Having studied at Oxford Brookes University, the streets of the city are always a welcome site on the big screen. In the frenzy of the first day at school, we are introduced to Oliver Quick (Keoghan), a shy bespectacled student from Merseyside who has a habit of watching from afar rather than joining in. Through the first term, we see Felix Catton and Farley Start (Elordi and Madekwe), cousins and in the popular group at the college. Farley has a tutorial with Oliver and becomes the teacher’s favourite after revealing the name of his mother.

While Oliver only has a fellow outsider, Michael, for company, he appears longing to be in Felix’s orbit. A chance meeting and lending of a bicycle cement the start of a friendship. The two become gradually closer as Oliver reveals his troubled home life and addict parents. Farley does not warm to Oliver as he reminds him of himself – an outsider. Farley is living with his family due to his mother not having enough to support them both.

When the year ends and Oliver has told Felix about his father passing away, Oliver is invited to the Catton family home for the summer: Saltburn. The house or mansion is a fictional estate based in Northamptonshire. With its sprawling gardens, labyrinthian maze, wild swimming pond and endless rooms, Saltburn is the perfect escape for Oliver.

Elspeth and James Catton (Pike and Grant) are the welcoming parents if a little cattish, gossiping about Oliver’s family situation and “Poor Dear” Pamela, a family friend staying with them played by Carey Mulligan. Pamela is almost the Oliver of Saltburn, the person that has fallen on hard times that they feel sorry for and are only friends with out of pity.

Oliver also meets Venetia Catton, Felix’ sister (Alison Oliver). Initially disinterested, he finds her hanging around outside his bedroom window at night and tries to control her with sex. This is when the audience begins to realise that Oliver is not the poor, innocent, vulnerable person he appears to portray.

While the summer is whiled away with reading the last Harry Potter book, the film is set in 2006/2007; the family and Farley begin to discover the cracks in Oliver’s persona. Elsbeth cares for him as another son but Felix starts to find him clingy.

A lavish party is planned for Oliver’s birthday towards the end of summer and after a surprise road trip to his hometown of Prescot, Oliver is forced to face the reality that his parents are actually middle-class and normal. This drives a wedge between Oliver and Felix that culminates in an argument at the centre of the maze during the party.

In the morning when Felix is found dead, presumably of a drug overdose, the family grieves. They try and eat breakfast as if nothing has ever happened while drawing the curtains to block out the coroner going past and into the maze. While Venetia and Farley can barely hold in their tears, Oliver makes conversation with James and Elspeth. Farley is also banished for good after an email is discovered from him trying to sell off one of the family’s antiques to cover his mother’s expenses.

Oliver stays for Felix’ funeral and is the only non-family member present when they carry out their tradition of writing the deceased’s name on a stone and throwing it into a river. Venetia struggles with her brother’s death and after a conversation with Oliver she is found dead in the bath, having killed herself.

James finally realises that his wife will now not let Oliver out of her clutches as the only pseudo child left. He pays him to leave them alone in their grief.

Jump forward to Covid times, presumably 2021, Oliver meets Elspeth in a London café. She has just moved to the area after her husband’s death. They share in their grief for the Catton family and when Elspeth falls ill, Oliver becomes her caretaker, wheeling her around Saltburn.

While she lies hooked up to a ventilator and barely conscious, Oliver finally reveals his grand plan. He orchestrated the friendship with Felix and got an invite to Saltburn. He put cocaine in Felix’s champagne, causing his death; gave razor blades to Venetia when she was at her rock bottom and then proceeds to take Elspeth off the machine keeping her alive.

While Elspeth was able to consent, he got written into her will and the last scene shows Oliver dancing through Saltburn, naked having managed to inherit the sprawling estate and family fortune. We see each of the four family member’s stones perched on top of a puppet toy depicting them.

The film had a lot to say about class and wealth. While the Catton’s don’t pretend to be less than they are, they open their home and hearts to practical strangers on whom they take pity. Their trust in Oliver and underestimation of him, is what leads to their downfall. At Oxford, Felix joins in with his friends making fun of Oliver but is quick to fold him into the group when he thinks he would make a good sidekick and doesn’t see him as a threat.

Farley is the first one who suspects Oliver and tries to distance himself and Felix from him but after being threatened by Oliver, he realises that he is not going to be able to beat him.

Personally, I did not see this twist coming and thought that Oliver would end up being the victim of the rich people as is the typical trope in thriller’s set in the world of the wealthy (for example, Ready or Not starring Samara Weaving). While Oliver is a villain for killing three, possibly four people, he represents the average person who is desperate to be part of the in crowd. He had ulterior motives but I think he also wanted to be accepted by Felix and the Cattons’ to prove that he is worthy of being in that world.

I thought that all the performances were brilliant particularly Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan. Without knowing Elordi was Australian, I would have thought that he was a typical British posh boy as he nailed the accent, dialect and mannerisms. Keoghan really showed Oliver’s emotions as clearly as reading a book and I sympathised with him when he longed to be in the cool kids gang. Being friends with the Cattons’ despite their strange habits, traditions and pity of him was better than not being friends with them. Oliver did some pretty odd things that gave clues to him being unhinged and Keoghan made them look very real.

I also thought Alison Oliver as Venetia was great and for someone who only started in the industry last year, I think there are big things to come for her. The scenes of just her and Oliver and after Felix’ death showed her ability to be vulnerable without being a total emotional mess.

Overall, I enjoyed the film despite the last act going in an odd direction. It was weird in a way that you can’t look away and have a desire to know how the story ends. The innocent scenes of 2000s Oxford leading into the heady summer at Saltburn gave the film an ethereal setting that you would certainly want to visit unless Oliver Quick is lurking in the shadows or underneath your window.

I give the film 4/5.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

10 Films to watch in Quarantine

Another British classic, a comedy this time a family adventure. Doug and Abby are separating but put on a united front at Doug’s father’s 75th birthday. The family with Lottie, Mickey and Jess drive up to Scotland for the big event. Gordie is dying of cancer but wants one more day with the children while his other son, Gavin organises the big event. Hilarity and family realness ensues. I love this film as it is really funny in a less obvious way. British comedy is often more subtle than other forms and the chemistry between all the characters along with off hand on-liners and the children’s knack for timing makes this film watchable again and again. I re-watched this film yesterday and while I remembered it being funny, I had forgotten the heart and grief that was present. Yes there is a sadness to the film but real life isn’t all fun and games. I have seen this film at least three times and would highly recommend for anyone looking for a laugh. The views of Scotland also are breathtaking. 10/10 as I see no faults with this one.

Hello readers,

Apologies for not having posted for awhile. I got very busy with university work and then the Coronavirus hit. As I now have more time on my hands due to the government-imposed quarantine, I thought I would recommend 10 films to watch if you need an escape from the situation happening around the world at this time. I have used a mix of genres and these are all films I feel provide an escape into the world of cinema with different settings and destinations that show some locations that aren’t accessible at the moment. I’ve included Hollywood and British films. I have enjoyed all the films below and would recommend if you need something to watch. As ever all the film I recommend are available either on Amazon Prime or Netflix UK.

Everest (2015)

You may not think of this film as a likely choice to distract from a global pandemic but I watched it recently and for the whole film I was completely wrapped up in the story and the fate of the group. The film as you can probably guess is about climbing Mount Everest but as I didn’t know, it is based on a true story about a group of climbers in the 1990s who did not have a happy ending. I thought the film had great realism and gave a real portrayal of the difficulty needed when climbing the highest mountain on Earth. The acting was good, featuring some famous faces: Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Keira Knightley and Naoko Mori. 8/10 because it was quite sad at the end.

About Time (2013)

I have not watched this film in years but it is a classic British rom-com that I will be definitely be revisiting in this time period. Richard Curtis always delivers and this film is no different. It was a breakout role for Domhnall Gleeson establishing him as a lead. The film is set in the real world with a fun twist. In the film when Tim (Gleeson) turns 21, his father tells him of a family secret: when every male reaches 21, they have the ability to time travel within their own lives. He uses this new power to improve his own life in small ways. A really touching film with some good old British nostalgia. Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Margot Robbie, Vanessa Kirby and Tom Hollander. 9/10 again for sadness factor but overall it is uplifting with beautiful scenery.

Lion (2016)

This real story tells an emotional journey about a boy who gets separated from his family in India while travelling across the country by train. He is then adopted by an Australian couple and grows up there. Cut to 25 years later and Saroo goes back to try and find his family. This film may have a simple premise but is an amazing true story and contains great scenery of India. It includes great performances from Dev Patel – best of his career-; Rooney Mara and Nicole Kidman. I have not seen this film for a couple of years but be prepared to cry. 8/10 a great story but not a 10/10 film.

Green Book (2018)

I happened to see this film after it won the Best Picture Oscar in 2019. When I heard it had won, I was annoyed that a film I hadn’t heard of won. This was before I saw it. One of my favourite films of last year. It was poignant, gentle, dramatic, socially aware. These are all qualities I look for in a good film. As a period piece, it held up with attitudes of the time particularly towards a black, gay man without being overly discriminatory. No main character was racist or homophobic towards Mahershala Ali’s character, Dr. Don Shirley. The films chronicles an Italian-American man acting as a security man for a classical pianist on his tour of the Southern States of the US. They face much backlash from establishments but form a strong bond that isn’t often seen between two older male characters, especially between those of different backgrounds and in the 1960s. I loved the vibe between Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali and the fact that when Dr. Shirley is caught naked with another man, Tony (Mortensen) doesn’t so much as bat an eye lid. There could have been more female characters but there wasn’t really room for more than Linda Cardellini who played Tony’s wife, Dolores who stayed at home in New York. I give this film 10/10 as I did when I first watched it. I am really glad that it is available to watch online.

What We Did on Our Holiday (2014)

Another British classic, a comedy this time, a family adventure. Doug and Abby are separating but put on a united front at Doug’s father’s 75th birthday. The family with Lottie, Mickey and Jess drive up to Scotland for the big event. Gordie is dying of cancer but wants one more day with the children while his other son, Gavin organises the big event. Hilarity and family realness ensues. I love this film as it is really funny in a less obvious way. British comedy is often more subtle than other forms and the chemistry between all the characters along with off hand one-liners and the children’s knack for timing makes this film watchable again and again. I re-watched this film yesterday and while I remembered it being funny, I had forgotten the heart and grief that was present. Yes there is a sadness to the film but real life isn’t all fun and games. I have seen this film at least three times and would highly recommend for anyone looking for a laugh. The views of Scotland also are breathtaking. 10/10 as I see no faults with this one.

Long Shot (2019)

I wanted to put in an American rom com as well as British ones as the Americans also do comedy well. This film has elements of a stoner comedy as well as action and romance. Seth Rogen plays Fred who bumps into Charlotte, his babysitter and childhood crush. Charlotte is now big in politics and about to announce her candidacy for President. She hires Fred as a speech writer and the two set off on a round the world press tour and bond together. I thought this film was the right balance of comedy and drama with some very real danger but also heightened reality. I saw it in the cinema last year and will definitely be watching on Netflix again. 8/10 as some scenes are a little over the top but overall a good time with great female representation.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

I really love this film and have seen multiple times in both the cinema and on DVD. A fun way to update the Jumanji film from the 1990s featuring CGI and special effects as I’ve never seen before. The trope of body swapping has been newly revived with teenagers possessing the bodies of action heroes. The film starts by showing the game of Jumanji turning into a video game in 1996. A random boy gets sucked into the game. Cut to 2017 and group of kids find the video game in their school’s junk room while in detention. They then enter the game and must complete it to escape. A great mix of teenage angst mixed with action, comedy and the chemistry between Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson. They are well-known friends and collaborators so seeing at as teenagers was fun. I would also recommend the second Jumanji film; Jumanji: The Next Level but it not on streaming platforms at the moment. I give this film 9/10 as it can sometimes feel a little bit of a boys world but the characters of Martha and Bethany do hold their own.

Chalet Girl (2009)

One of my favourite rom coms and again another British one. This time it’s a trip to Austria for a snow filled story. Kim, a skateboard star needs a job. She finds a position as a chalet girl for a rich family in Austria. She then decides to learn to snowboard using her skills from skateboarding. She begins to get out of her shell and have fun with her new friends. She also finds romance with Johnny, son of the family she caters for. Will he pick Kim over his girlfriend? Filled with an amazing cast of Felicity Jones, Ed Westwick, Bill Nighy, Tamsin Egerton, Sophia Bush, Bill Bailey and Brooke Shields. While this film is set in snow, it is not a Christmas one and I think is watchable any time of the year. 8/10 as the ending is a little rom com cheesy but feel good all the same.

We’re the Millers! (2015)

This film always makes me laugh and never disappoints. One for families with teenagers as features some risque scenes and bad language. Starring comedy geniuses Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis, the Miller family take a family vacation to Mexico and road trip back. In reality, Mum, Dad and the two kids aren’t related and just happen to know each other. David deals weed and he is threatened by local drug lord to take a shipment over the US/Mexican border. He enlists Rose; his neighbour and stripper; Kenny; his other neighbour and naive teenager and Casey a local runaway girl that Kenny knows to become the Millers. So many hilarious moments occur particularly when they meet the Fitzgerald family made up of Kathryn Hahn; Nick Offerman and Molly Quinn. This film has some interesting scenery but for me is about the characters and their unlikely bond. 10/10 for the ability to make me laugh over and over.

21 & Over (2013)

I have only seen this film once but found it really funny. It features three college friends as one of them turns 21. His high school friends go and visit for a night of fun which quickly turns into a quest to get Jeff Chang to his medical school interview the next morning. Miller and Casey soon find themselves handling a very drunk friend while navigating parties, cops and how to get back to their friend’s dorm. While at heart, this film is a college frat boy comedy it contained many truths about friendship and the pressures one can feel to be a particular person. A progressive yet slightly left-wing approach to gayness. I enjoyed this film especially when Miller and Casey have to complete the party house levels to get to the top. 8/10 as some portrayals of women were a little mean and some jokes didn’t make the mark but overall a fun late night comedy. Again not so much the scenery but the adventure.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

Strong Women in Film

Felicity Jones was powerful as Ruth and even though small in stature, she had command and the authority that Ruth had and still has. The portrayal of Rut Bader Ginsburg really inspired me that even though she had been pushed aside, Ruth knew her place was to fight for equality. Her daughter also inspired her as she turned to feminist activism. This film is really one to watch, not just for Felicity Jones’ amazing outfits, inspiring performance but Ruth’s amazing life story.

Hi readers,

I will discussing films that I have seen last month with strong and inspiring female characters. In the past, actresses were there just to be rescued or as someone for the actor to talk to or monologue to. Almost like a plot device. There have been many films featuring women and I feel like society’s attitudes towards women has become more accepting and inclusive. We are getting biopics about amazing women such as the female NASA mathematicians in Hidden Figures that helped put a man in space; Wonder Woman, the first superhero film that I have seen starring a woman; films about female musicians, Amy and Whitney; films remade with a female cast, Ghostbusters, Ocean’s 8, What Men Want, The Hustle. I will be looking at some film’s I have seen last month with a strong female lead.

On the Basis of Sex

Felicity Jones in On the Basis of Sex (2018)

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is famous for work toward gender equality and her position as Supreme Court Justice. This origin story shows how she progressed from Harvard Housewife to the woman she is today. Ruth was one of the first women to attend Harvard Law school and when her husband Marty was diagnosed with a serious illness she took his classes for him. She graduates but no law firms in New York will employ a female lawyer in 1959. She becomes a lecturer but when one case opens her eyes to the injustice towards a man then all women, she must take a stand. Felicity Jones was powerful as Ruth and even though small in stature, she had command and the authority that Ruth had and still has. The portrayal of Rut Bader Ginsburg really inspired me that even though she had been pushed aside, Ruth knew her place was to fight for equality. Her daughter also inspired her as she turned to feminist activism. This film is really one to watch, not just for Felicity Jones’ amazing outfits, inspiring performance but Ruth’s amazing life story.

Captain Marvel

Brie Larson in Captain Marvel (2019)

The first female lead Marvel film was always going to be good but Brie Larson as Carol Danvers just took it to a place beyond anything I thought it could go. The main message running through was that even though Carol had gained Kree powers and could blast people, she was powerful and strong when she was human. Her determination and strength was shown in a beautiful montage of Carol being knocked down at various ages but then standing up stronger and braver than before. Brie Larson’s comedic timing was on point and I believed that she really didn’t have an memories before waking up in Hala, the Kree city. Maria, Carol’s best friend and fellow pilot was also a great female character. Despite being a single mother and black, she became an Air Force pilot. When Carol came back with no memory, she helped her remember her life and their adventures together. Her daughter, Monica who admired Carol as her role model was also a great female character. Definitely one to take young girls who need self-belief and the confidence to achieve their dreams.

A Private War

This film was very powerful and more shocking and sad than the previous two but Rosamund Pike as the war journalist, Marie Colvin was striking. Marie goes to war zone after war zone reporting on the most horrific things she can find and does it with a bravery that most people don’t have in them. A male journalist in her situation might retire after the trauma and danger she went through but she kept going even after having a stint in a rehabilitation facility due to her PTSD. In each war zone: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan and Syria, Marie felt compelled to share the horrors of war and what was happening to the civilians who had nothing to do with the conflict. Marie also struggles with her personal life, her husband leaves her, she drinks and smokes way way too much, she doesn’t leave enough time for friends and after losing an eye, she becomes depressed.

I loved this film for it’s honesty and showing what war is really like not for the soldiers or terrorists but for the people, the citizens. War really took a toll on Marie and her writing was so visual that she is regarded as one of the best journalists of her time. The ending shocked me as I didn’t know much of Marie’s story and I won’t spoil it here but throughout the film there is a countdown in years to Syria. Would be happy to watch this again.

The Princess Diaries

An older film than the others in this post but she a great film for women. Mia, a normal, socially awkward teenager is told that she is the heir to the Genovian throne, a fictional European country. She starts ‘Princess Lessons’ with her Grandmother, Clarisse, the Queen of Genovia. Mia realises that some people just want fame and not everyone will be as nice as her artistic supportive mum or best friend Lily. This film is full of laughs and I have seen it many a time. Mia is a role model to young girls everywhere as she chooses to use her position to change things in the world for the better. Her house is also really cool. I would encourage any woman, young, old or in-between to watch this uplifting female empowering film. The sequel is also worth a look.

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Lee Israel’s motivations are relatable, she can’t sell her work and is living in a cockroach invested apartment in New York. Her actions are not well thought out as she starts forging letters from great literary figures like Dorothy Parker when her work as a celebrity biographer is no longer relevant. She starts selling her letters, claiming her cousin found them in his loft and then ropes in her friend and fellow writer, Jack Hock to help her pass off the letters as originals. It works until it doesn’t. Lee doesn’t have much luck in her personal life, her girlfriend left her and her new love interest at the book shop unravels when the letters are discovered as forged. The film itself is based on Lee’s book she wrote on the ordeal and why she did it. Melissa McCarthy as Lee was one of the best of her career and a real change from her usual comedy such as Bridesmaids, Tammy, Identity Thief and Life of the Party. This film showed Lee’s ingenuity and creativity when she had no other way of making money. Someone else may have accepted a job in a different field but Lee persevered in her chosen profession. A great film that showed the resilience of women.

Isn’t it Romantic

Rebel Wilson in Isn't It Romantic (2019)

An anti-rom-com with Rebel Wilson in her first lead role that made fun of every troupe while simultaneously fulfilling them all. Rebel plays Natalie an architect who loves her job but wishes she did more than design parking garages and watch her friend Josh stare at the beautiful woman on the billboard outside her window. When Natalie bumps her head she ends up in a cliche rom-com with hot doctors, clean streets and handsome men falling in love with her. She doesn’t know how to leave but when Josh starts dating the woman from the billboard; yoga ambassador Isabella, Natalie thinks that breaking them up will get her out of this rosy, annoying world. This film was a feel-good romantic comedy while simultaneously making fun of all the cliches such as women fighting at work, Natalie’s friend/assistant, Whitney suddenly becomes her rival; random bursting into song; perfect flash mob dance sequences. Natalie realises at the end that to escape the ‘perfect’ world she needs to love herself not any man and I think that is a really female empowering message. I love Rebel Wilson in any role she does and this was no exception.

I Feel Pretty

Another film where a woman feels underappreciated then hits her head. This time Amy Schumer is Renee, an under-confident woman not happy with her size, her dating life or her dead end job in a basement in Chinatown working for Lilly Leclair as an IT specialist. After falling off a Soul Cycle bike and hitting her head, Renee wakes up believing that she is the most beautiful woman in the world. This gives her more confidence to pursue her dream job as a receptionist for Lilly Leclair, working in their Fifth Avenue office. Her friends who have always loved her are confused as it everyone else as Renee hasn’t changed at all, she just thinks she has. When Renee becomes close to Lilly Leclair head honcho, Avery Leclair, she starts leaving her friends and new boyfriend, Ethan behind. Being confident makes her self-centred and vain. I thought Amy Schumer was great in this role and the message that you are perfect just the way you are and can achieve your dreams with the right attitude and self-belief was really strong and moving for me.

20th Century Women

This film about 3 strong women raising a teenage boy in 1979 was a true to life look at what struggles women face such as teenage pregnancy, ovarian cancer, single motherhood, rebellious children. The atmosphere of the film and the women interacting with each other intellectually and taking Jamie under their wings while fighting stereotypes and discussing menstruation, sex and womanhood was one I haven’t seen in many films and made me feel seen as a woman. Setting the film in 1979 was important as periods and other female ‘issues’ were regarded as even more taboo at that time. The love that Dorothea felt for her son made you sad that he kept pushing her away but also you understood he just wanted to be free and live his life. A great story and look at life in California in the 1970s.

Happy Watching

Robyn 🙂