My Review - Saltburn My Rating 9/10 In selected Cinemas now Saltburn is the latest movie from the brilliant creative writer, director , producer and actress Emerald Fennell since her 2020 triumphant movie essay on vengeance Promising Young Woman which starred her friend Carey Mulligan. Carey Mulligan only plays a cameo role in Saltburn but what a brilliant cameo role it is of Poor Dear Pamela the unwanted dysfunctional house guest. Carey Mulligan in an interview with Margo Robbie a co producer of Saltburn said that the role Emerald Fennell originally offered her was not the one she ended up playing. On reading the script Carey Mulligan said she decided that she wanted to play poor dear Pamela and Emerald agreed to her request . I'm only assuming the other role offered to her was that of Lady Elspeth Catton played in the movie to perfection by Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike. This movie in fact has four Oscar nominees in the cast Richard E. Grant, Barry Keoghan, Carey Mulligan and Rosamund Pike. It's no wonder to me that Emerald Fennell it's creator has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, one Screen Actors Guild Award, and nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. One reviewer described this movie as a Promising Young Man takes a seedy turn as it follows a young university student who becomes infatuated with his aristocratic schoolmate and his wealthy but eccentric family. My only regret with this movie is the fact that Emerald Fennell chose the 1.33:1 aspect ratio , her reason being that it gives the impression of "peeping in." The magnificent cinematography by Linus Sandgren in my opinion deserves the full anamorphic 2.39:1 widescreen aspect. I call this movie an Art House black comedy thriller if I had to describe it in a few words I think I would say it's Brideshead Revisited with the style of Peter Greenaway the avant- garde director of famous 1980's movies like The Draughtsman's Contract , Drowning by Numbers and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover . This wonderful movie for me was a complete surprise and is now in my top 5 films of 2023 . It may not the be finest of the year but certainly the most original and entertaining in my opinion. Not everyone will share my view but I adore clever screenplays about the psychology and obsessional aspects of the human mind especially when tinged with black humour. I couldn't help thinking of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited while watching Saltburn so after seeing the movie I wasn't surprised to read that Emerald Fennell recommended Jacob Elordi the Brisbane born handsome actor read Brideshead Revisited to prepare for this important role in his career . In complete contrast Jacob will be playing Elvis Presley in the forthcoming movie Pricilla based on the early relationship of Pricilla Beaulieu and Elvis . In Saltburn Jacob Elordi plays the pivotal character of everyone's affection Felix Catton the son and heir of Sir James Catton played with delicious detachment by Richard E Grant and Elspeth Catton perfectly cast with the glamorous Rosamund Pike . Rosamund Pike has never looked as glamorous in a movie her gowns and all the costumes designed by Sophie Canale who was assistant costume designer on Bridgerton are outstanding especially in the spectacular fancy dress masquerade birthday party scene in honour of the family interloper Oliver Quick also played to perfection by the Academy Award nominated Irish supporting actor Barry Keoghan in The Banshees of Inisherin Barry Keoghan. Barry Keoghan's character Oliver Quick is the cuckoo in this nest of privilege , an intelligent young man from a middle class family studying at Oxford not because of family wealth but on a scholarship . His character appears benign at first but gradually develops into a complex and devilishly ambitious assault on the upper class family whose hospitality and wealth turns his Summer of love into a quest of betrayal. The movie begins with Oliver's narrative explaining his obsessional affection for the charismatic Felix Catton whose life ,family and popularity starkly contrasts Oliver's nerdy dullness . Oliver through a set of careful manoeuvres manages to enter the world of Felix Catton and his aristocratic eccentric family. Similar to Brideshead Felix invites Oliver to spend the Summer at his family's ancestral home Saltbush where he is welcomed by the glamorous matriarch Elspeth . No spoilers everyone should experience this amazing movie with fresh eyes preferably on a cinema screen as it may look very boxy on a television screen. As mentioned the sets and location shooting are stunning and feature the historic cobbled Radcliffe Square in Oxford and its walled surroundings and colleges. The stately home that Emerald Fennell chose as Saltburn is Drayton House in Northamptonshire and has never been used for filming before and may never be used again I haven't mentioned many of the brilliant ensemble cast but the two standouts for me were Archie Madekwe as the young border at Saltburn Farleigh Start who sees through Oliver Quick and becomes an object of jealousy. Also the beautiful but troubled daughter of the household Annabelle played by Sadie Soverall all the performances including the supercilious scene stealing Butler played by Paul Rhys are wonderful. I'd love to spend a day in Emerald Fennels mind the characters that inhabit it in the stories she creates in Killing Eve ,Promising Young Woman and now Saltburn I find fascinating.

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