Saltburn - who else have got their fingers crossed?

[Joie J.]

So far the reviews aren't very much in alignment with my expectations but I can still hope, right?

Emerald Fennell didn't disappoint me with her previous works, like at all.

Plus, as a huge admirer of Donna Tartt's The Secret History, my excitement is, I believe, fairly justified. 

If I'm not wrong then Saltburn is a story that deals with truly influential beauties and their horrors.

What are your thoughts on this?

[Zombie]

Another retread of the Brideshead Revisited trope  but with more explicit gay sex +gore 

Interestingly, Fennell signed a contract with the family that’s owned Drayton House (since the 1300s) to make the whole movie there on condition that no one was allowed to reveal the location of the house or the identity of its owners - but then blurted it out (after Tatler had done some digging)  

 

https://www.indiewire.com/features/craft/saltburn-shooting-location-drayton-house-estate-1234907538/

[Guest]

I heard it is coming out on Prime soon! I couldn't bring myself to come out to the cinema, to see it (my last visit was for "Oppenheimer").

I do sense, some resemblance in parts of the plot to "The Talented Mr Ripley" with Matt Damon (loved it), but with less romantic take on the protagonist and far more emphasis on social and psychological elements of the story.

 

[Krista]

I'm sure the acting will be top notch with the line-up it has going for it. Plot is where I will lack enthusiasm for it overall. It isn't my cup of tea at all. 

[W_L]

On 12/6/2023 at 7:03 PM, Krista said:

I'm sure the acting will be top notch with the line-up it has going for it. Plot is where I will lack enthusiasm for it overall. It isn't my cup of tea at all. 

It reinforces a (getting old) trope in LGBT stories, the evil manipulative bisexual character. I agree with you @Krista it's not my cup of tea either, despite the male nudity and erotic tones, it's a shallow expression of desire and greed without empathy like its main antagonist. 

As for acting, I've seen the Horror movie Killing of a Sacred Deer as well, Barry Keoghan is a great actor. He can appear innocent, but since I've seen his evil calculating character portrayal before, I wasn't shocked by what happens. Maybe, he got typecasted in my mind.

[Joie J.]

A quick remark: 

I've finally watched Saltburn and we'll.... DISAPPOINTED!!! 

The first 30 minutes were giving me so much boost but then it went into an unexpected crash-and-burn mode! 

As @W_L said, "shallow expression of desire and greed without empathy" - didn't do anything for me. Even the carefully crafted erotic scenes somehow felt repulsive!

[Guest]

I finally watched Saltburn last weekend. I may have to do it again though, as I feel I might have missed some nuances. 

First impressions - not so bad! 

Ollie (Barry Keoghan) is a seemingly a shy student from a working class family with difficult dynamic of past addiction and abuse.

Felix (Jacob Elordi) is a popular son of an upper class family who's life seemed focused on socialising, fun and occasionally "saving" new members of his circle.

Now, I could be angry about depiction or portrayal of Ollie as manipulative "gay" man, but it seems to me - it would be doing the character a injustice. 

(Edit)>>

It seems to me that  Felix' family have misjudged their "lower-class" guest as a curious "toy" for holiday, a pet they could be entertained with, or a "project" they could save- without realising they are in danger - be it, through their insecurities, desires and a sense of privilege...

<<(end of edit)

Ollie, quickly takes advantage of the situation he is presented with - and, seduced by the "Saltburn" he embarks on claiming what he eventually feels belongs to him... (without giving the plot directly). His sexuality, or others (either implied or not) had no bearing on their motivation or actions in my view.

Finally - this film takes a different look on the story of the "Talented Mr Ripley" - and yes, it has resembled in parts that "gem" to me. 

Edited January 17, 2024 by Dariusz Alexander

[Joie J.]

15 hours ago, Dariusz Alexander said:

I finally watched Saltburn last weekend. I may have to do it again though, as I feel I might have missed some nuances. 

First impressions - not so bad! 

Ollie (Barry Keoghan) is a seemingly a shy student from a working class family with difficult dynamic of past addiction and abuse.

Felix (Jacob Elordi) is a popular son of an upper class family who's life seemed focused on socialising, fun and occasionally "saving" new members of his circle.

Now, I could be angry about depiction or portrayal of Ollie as manipulative "gay" man, but it seems to me - it would be doing the character a injustice. 

(Edit)>>

It seems to me that  Felix' family have misjudged their "lower-class" guest as a curious "toy" for holiday, a pet they could be entertained with, or a "project" they could save- without realising they are in danger - be it, through their insecurities, desires and a sense of privilege...

<<(end of edit)

Ollie, quickly takes advantage of the situation he is presented with - and, seduced by the "Saltburn" he embarks on claiming what he eventually feels belongs to him... (without giving the plot directly). His sexuality, or others (either implied or not) had no bearing on their motivation or actions in my view.

Finally - this film takes a different look on the story of the "Talented Mr Ripley" - and yes, it has resembled in parts that "gem" to me. 

Saltburn is a film that aimed at some unattained heights, but got lost in its own track. My major complaints against the film are only two;

1. After the death of Felix, Oliver's acceptance in the mansion was, well, not well logically supported. For as cunning as the rich family seemed initially, taking advantages of those who got dazzled by the presence of extreme wealth, they turn pretty blind and stupid, much too fast for most audience to accept it.

2. Oliver's "I loved him so much that I began to hate him" - I've both seen and read better representation of that particular kind of twisted emotion.

To sum up, the film went south way too rapidly to emotionally comprehend; especially after Felix was found dead.

P.S. Just a thought; would this film work better if it was an eight hours or so long series, instead of a two hours film? Maybe with more time at hand, the creator could have shown more empathy for her characters?

[W_L]

2 hours ago, Joie J. said:

Saltburn is a film that aimed at some unattained heights, but got lost in its own track. My major complaints against the film are only two;

1. After the death of Felix, Oliver's acceptance in the mansion was, well, not well logically supported. For as cunning as the rich family seemed initially, taking advantages of those who got dazzled by the presence of extreme wealth, they turn pretty blind and stupid, much too fast for most audience to accept it.

2. Oliver's "I loved him so much that I began to hate him" - I've both seen and read better representation of that particular kind of twisted emotion.

To sum up, the film went south way too rapidly to emotionally comprehend; especially after Felix was found dead.

P.S. Just a thought; would this film work better if it was an eight hours or so long series, instead of a two hours film? Maybe with more time at hand, the creator could have shown more empathy for her characters?

Possibly a TV mini-series treatment would be better, but the ultimate issues that hold it back are the plot narrative and its reliance on the twist. One thing to consider about films like this is that you need a strong buildup and emotional attachment between its leads. I didn't find the relationship between Olive and Eispeth, Felix's mother, or his need to entice Venetia, Felix's sister, realistic emotionally and sexually. I can understand that Oliver may be sexually attracted to both genders, but on the other hand with his homosexuality being obsessive and consuming, his heterosexuality seemed calculating and impersonal. The movie lost me as there was no motivation for Oliver, except the thin class-struggle concept that the film tries to embody. Exploration of what relationships and what psychological drives motivate Oliver would have made it far more rewarding.

 

[Ron]

I don’t think much of this movie, it didn’t make a lick of sense. There were just too many ‘reveals’ at the end all in order to justify the actions of a disturbed individual. Watching Barry Keoghan dance around in the nude was mildly entertaining though — a small treat for having suffered through the febrile attempt at whatever.

[Laura S. Fox]

Late to the party, but I agree with the criticism mentioned in this thread. And this was much better (also, call me shallow, but I still think Jude Law at 27 yo if I do the math correctly is one of the most beautiful men I've ever seen on screen):

 

[Ron]

5 hours ago, Laura S. Fox said:

Late to the party

I absolutely made this comparison with the far more excellent movie, The Talented Mr. Ripley while watching Saltburn. I also agree that Jude Law was the cat’s meow, and even now there’s just something about the man.

[Gary L]

I found the film revolting. The scene with oral sex and menstrual blood was repellant and, more importantly, perhaps, contradictory with what came before and after. Brideshead Revisited (TV) was a work of art, The talented Mr Ripley was an ace novel and v good film.  Saltburn, actually, was boring, and having personally been a nobody at Oxford, faintly ridiculous in its premise. Perhaps I should have punctured Princess Diana’s brother’s bike ( if he had one….) in Magdalen’s bike shed.  Pleeeseeeee

[Joie J.]

19 hours ago, Gary L said:

Saltburn, actually, was boring, and having personally been a nobody at Oxford, faintly ridiculous in its premise. Perhaps I should have punctured Princess Diana’s brother’s bike ( if he had one….) in Magdalen’s bike shed.

OMG, you've got some spicy nuggets from your past!

Why don't you cook a story around it and I can assure you, all of us who survived Saltburn will appreciate your work far, far more.

[Gary L]

58 minutes ago, Joie J. said:

OMG, you've got some spicy nuggets from your past!

Why don't you cook a story around it and I can assure you, all of us who survived Saltburn will appreciate your work far, far more.

I’m  Plucking up courage to start a tale or two based on my dubious past. Perhaps the time I was being smuggled into a usaf nuclear bomber base near Oxford for the night, only for the Mps to stop the car…….