I didn’t know anything about Emerald Fennell before Promising Young Woman (2020), and I still don’t really. But I went to see Promising Young Woman in the theater and I’m glad I did, because I’m still like fascinated by it. I’m impossible though. Like even though I’ve vehemently sworn off David O. Russell I’m now drawn back to Joy (2015) because I can’t help but be—it shouldn’t work but that makes me like it even more.
Saltburn (2023, Emerald Fennell, 1.33:1) is a toxic comedy of manners class conscious morality satire chamber piece that takes a familiar premise, then subsequently takes our notions of whom we might empathize with, what feelings we associate with doing so, what judgements we might form about them, and then mischievously plays a trick on us.
Most of the time I don’t think movies have messages. But Saltburn is excused. Whether I could articulate this message or not (I’m not gonna try because I don’t wanna spoiler), it stayed with me long after leaving the theater. My two favorite things about Saltburn are the decadence fantasy-wish fulfillment and the cast, but especially Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant.
The decadence exists both at Oxford and Saltburn manor. And it’s dark in both instances. At school we care about the kids. But at Saltburn it’s how eccentric the entire family and staff are that makes it so enjoyable. The progression of the narrative always had me uneasy wondering where exactly this whole thing was going, and that intrigue is crucial to its thriller aspect. And as far as its style, I could think of many comparisons that I could make, but why bother?
11/21/2023 AMC Phipps Plaza 14
Atlanta, GA
DCP
No comments:
Post a Comment