“Saltburn” Is A Simmering Tale Of Deception!

HOLLYWOOD—I really love the month of December because I feel like I finally get the opportunity to see some of the best movies out there and a must-see is “Saltburn.” You might be asking what the movie is about and it is indeed a difficult one to chat about without giving too much away. It is from the brain of Emerald Fennell, the same woman responsible for that twisted dark comedy “Promising Young Woman” starring Carey Mulligan. That movie was dramatic, comedic and delivered a stunner of a surprise near the end that left me speechless.

I can tell you Fennell’s follow-up, “Saltburn” is one that will have critics and movie fans talking as well, as it follows Oliver (Barry Keoghan), as an Oxford University student navigating amongst the elite. Keoghan is masterful in this performance that is nuanced, calculating, mesmerizing and twisted all at the same time. Keoghan is a bit older than what I realized, but his stature compared to his co-star Jacob Elordi helps sell the persona of him being a destitute college student.

Fennell does a superb job of immediately forcing the audience to connect with our protagonist as he struggles to fit in at a school where he is seen to be the lesser of his counterparts. While its college, it has splashes of high school, of being that kid who just wants to belong with the cool kids and you’re willing to do anything to make that happen. Elordi portrays Felix Catton, the rich of the rich who is masterful in the performance. I was already aware of Elordi’s talent based on his work on the risqué HBO series “Euphoria,” but here he proves there is a charisma he possesses that draws you to him on the screen.

Felix is indeed the object of everyone’s obsession and Elordi balances that allure with a character that seems to be longing for more, let’s say a genuine friendship and a family that shows actual emotion? That brings us to the film’s title, which I’m always eager to learn how the title of the movie plays into the actual film itself, with “Saltburn” being the estate of the Catton family.

Oliver is coy about his upbringing and what he shares with Felix draws the friends together, and that brings an element of infatuation with a tinge of lust. Fennell’s writing is so sharp at times I felt Felix was into Oliver as much as Oliver was into him, but the characters don’t quite go there. The audience is teased, but the tease we receive is so strong it does make you think, could these two guys really be into each other. At Saltburn, we meet Felix’s family which includes his eccentric sister Venetia (Alison Oliver), his annoying, but intriguing cousin Farleigh (Archie Madekwe), who eats up this role. He is that bougie guy that brags about all the riches without actually having any of it at all.

There is Felix’s parents Lady Elspeth Catton (Rosamund Pike) and Sir James Catton (Richard E. Grant). There is so much buzz about Pike’s performance as Elspeth, and I will be honest, it was solid, but nothing that made me say WOW. It is fine acting, but I think more praise should be going to Grant and Elordi who are not even being considered as contenders for awards season, and they should be.

Fennell does some exceptional work with the camera where she stages some of the dramatic shots in a way where you know what is going on without fully getting a close up of things. I will say this, “Saltburn” had a bevy and I mean a bevy of scenes that left me speechless and had me asking myself, “What the hell are you watching?” but in a good way. There is a level of intrigue and suspense to all these characters that just working where Fennell draws you in and before she delivers the kill you’re not quite sure where things will culminate.

Keoghan’s performance is critical to driving the narrative that is a slow burn, but one that I did not mind for the two hours and change. The pacing worked well to a point where I never got bored watching, I was always intrigued to find out what was going to unfold next. While many are calling this a dark comedy, I have to disagree, this is more like a dark drama, where you think you know what is going to happen, but as things unfold, your eyes get open a bit more and a bit more before the big climax transpires and those eyes are open in stunning shock.

Keoghan should be a contender for a Screen Actor’s Guild nomination for Best Actor and I would love to see him nominated for an Oscar for his work. It would also be a travesty if Fennell is not in contention in the Best Original Screenplay race for a script that is so witty and clever and riveting you immediately get sucked into what is transpiring within the first five minutes of the flick. “Saltburn” is one of those movies people will be talking about the key is to be aware of what you tell those who HAVE NOT seen the movie what it is all about. Trust me you don’t want to have this ending or the many twists and turns exposed before you have seen the movie yourself.