REVIEW: ‘Saltburn’ burns with desire
Photo: Barry Keoghan stars in Saltburn. Photo courtesy of MGM and Amazon Studios / Provided by Amazon Content Services LLC from official site.
Saltburn, the new movie from writer-director Emerald Fennell, feels like a combination of Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Dreamers and Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Teorema. A young college student named Oliver Quick, played quite effectively by Barry Keoghan, infiltrates the ritzy facade of a wealthy family and observes how the ultra-rich live life in a tucked-away estate in the English countryside.
Oliver is first introduced to the family thanks to his friendship with Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi). The two are classmates at Oxford University, and they appear on the surface to be polar opposites. Oliver doesn’t talk of his family, and he’s known as a “scholarship kid” who had to gain entry to the prestigious college because of his grades and not his family’s treasures. Felix, on the other hand, is an aristocrat and heir to a fortune. In one telling scene, Oliver can’t buy the next round of drinks at the local pub, so Felix steps in and saves the day.
Eventually Felix invites Oliver on a summer trip to Saltburn, the palatial estate owned by the Catton family. That’s where Oliver meets Felix’s parents, Sir James Catton (Richard E. Grant) and Elspeth Catton (Rosamund Pike). Also making their presence known are Venetia Catton (Alison Oliver) and Poor Dear Pamela (Carey Mulligan), plus there’s cousin Farleigh Start (Archie Madekwe), but Oliver already knew him from their Oxford parties together.
Days melt away in the summer sun, with the young people traipsing around the estate, lying naked in the fields or swimming in the picturesque pond. They keep up appearances for meals, and this is where Oliver sometimes fumbles around the ways of the rich. He doesn’t know that eggs are cooked to order while the rest of the breakfast items are served buffet-style. He needs to borrow a suit for the formal dinners, and the butler, a stately man named Duncan (Paul Rhys), intimidates him like a horror-movie villain.
As the partying continues throughout the summer, one realizes that Oliver is taking mental notes of everything. He’s not only a student of this family and their excesses; he’s also desirous of their life and lifestyle, and he begins to lust after each member of the family, especially Felix.
There are points of Saltburn’s narrative that are meant to shock, and they do. But the main takeaway and strength of the picture can be found in Saltburn itself. Fennell has an uncanny ability to capture this estate in all of its mystery and glory. At times, the surroundings are more interesting than the goings-on of the humans populating these lush corridors.
Keoghan offers a commanding performance in a difficult role. This is yet another strong bullet point on the actor’s résumé, especially after last year’s exquisite The Banshees of Inisherin. He plays the part of outsider with a cleverness and uneasiness. He is subtly discriminated against for being of a lower class, but he also lurks in the corners and shadows of Saltburn, peering into private spaces and absorbing the energy of the estate, like a voyeur with endless views on display.
The supporting cast are most welcome, especially Pike and Grant, who are the right combination of loving and aloof, not realizing just how out of touch they sound when talking about life and living. Mulligan is unfortunately in an underwritten part that receives hardly any screen time. Oliver, Elordi and Madekwe are enjoyable as the younger family members, equal parts kind, conniving and unaware.
Saltburn does not move the dial much on its commentary about the classes, or how relationships are made and broken, but there’s enough to appreciate to pay this estate a visit.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Saltburn (2023). Written and directed by Emerald Fennell. Starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Archie Madekwe, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver and Carey Mulligan. Running time: 127 minutes. Rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout, some disturbing violent content and drug use. Now playing in movie theaters and streaming on Prime Video. Rating: 
