Saltburn

This is a story that cleverly and darkly portray the class disparity and it's societal mutations. We see household of the working man all shattered with shame. We see the palace loosely knit with wealth. And we see the palace dwelling Cuckoo with madness in his gaze and forethought in his manner. Excellent performances especially by Barry Keoghan. Vivid visuals keeps the audience on the edge. Excellent cinematography that adds the twisted mysteriousness to every frame. Great sound effects to deliver the liveliness of characters. Contrasting background music to remind the SaltBurn is never what you expect till the very end.

Saltburn moves along at a good pace, rather stylish and hip as it creates some anticipation for where it may be going. It develops a bit of mystery but we never understand the motivation for the protagonist character. Not much depth for the various character, so can't get invested in them. Several scenes are designed to depict ridiculous opulence and wealth, so as to contribute to why the main character has disdain for this, yet we don't ever feel this disdain.

As the end approaches it becomes predictable while it quickly and conveniently fills in the holes of whatever mysteries it tried to create. Overall, Saltburn lacks substance and hence I was left feeling with the lack of meaning for whatever message the film is trying to depict.

Saltburn

Now this was an interesting film. It's a mind game. It's manipulation. And it's nefarious. Be prepared to squirm Be prepared to gasp. Be prepared to say "oh dear God" a few times. The movie follows a very shy and quiet Oxford student on his quest to fit in. After a school year, he is invited to join his new friend at his family's enormous castle where we definitely see him in a fish out of water situation.

Then things... happen. Oh boy do they happen. This is all I'm going to say but be prepared for a wild ride, and don't be squeamish. I enjoyed this, but it really deserves its R rating. It's very adult and highlights the depths human beings can go, regardless of material wealth.

You know I love to find the human experience presented, possibly with a lesson in mental health awareness. Oh God no. Perhaps there is awareness, but there is no lesson.

Rosamund Pike does steal the show. Her one liners are absolutely hilarious.

Enjoy the ride.

I really don't understand why this movie is getting such rave reviews on here. Yes, it was very stylish, the music was great, and the acting was good. But the storyline was a HUGE disappointment. I kept waiting for something to happen, and when it finally did I was severely underwhelmed and disappointed that that was the direction the filmmakers went. It's overplayed, not creative or interesting. I saw the movie "Parasite" and I LOVED it. This movie just seemed like a cheap and trashy knock off with some bizarre scenes thrown in there for "shock value". Watch it if you want to see what all the buzz is about, but I'm just saying you might be left disappointed and wishing you would've spent 2.5 hours of your time on something else.

I was quite nervous when I saw this. I was expecting a sort of hybrid of "Another Country" meets "Brideshead Revisited" as the story of "Ollie" (Barry Keoghan) and his aristocratic pal "Felix" (Jacob Elordi) unfolds. Both are at Oxford university, but the former man is very much a poor relation of his well-heeled contemporaries. One afternoon, though, he comes to the aid of "Felix" lending him his bike, and what now ensues is a friendship that sees the two gradually start to bond and for the latter to invite his new friend to his eponymous stately pile as a guest of his mother (Rosamund Pike) and father (Richard E. Grant). Tagging along throughout this experience is the slightly malevolent and jealous "Farleigh" (Archie Madekwe) as their summer vacillates from the hedonistic and enjoyable to the ghastly and tragic. It's a bit of a slow starter, but once we arrive at the ancestral pile the story starts to gather pace and "Ollie" proves to be quite adept at navigating - even manipulating - the frequently quite treacherous environment in which he finds himself. It is definitely too dialogue heavy, but Keoghan is good here and there is quite an effectively building degree of menace as we start to realise that maybe things aren't all quite what they seem. I found Madekwe also rather good as the odious hanger-on (only a posher one) and Carey Mulligan walks quite a characterful tightrope too. The photography and aesthetic of the film along with Anthony Willis's score all add a degree of richness to a story that isn't as derivative as I feared. I can't think it's a film I will remember in a few years, but it is well worth a watch as Mr Keoghan continues on his journey to what must be greater success.