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By LANCE HOOPER
Sports Editor
Everyone has that chauvinist friend with a sense of humor stuck in the 80s always making crass jokes
and catcalling women. “Man look at her. I’d drink her bath water. She is so hot,” yet somehow, the drink out of the water hose generation is aghast at the notion of a movie bringing that very scenario to life.
The same scenario you giggled at in disgust when your friend strategically mic dropped that little diddy about a waitress at Hooters while having hot wings. “Bah ha ha” the table laughed out loud, full of “it’s so bad it’s good” pity.
The double standards of society can be comical, while still delivering elements of satire and irony. “Saltburn,” the most hyped movie of 2023, is everything you thought you needed in a movie, a few things you could do without and an education on layers to the human condition you were not prepared for that only director Emerald Fennell could deliver via sledge hammer.
Fennel is the Oscar holding director, winning best original screenplay for “Promising Young Women.” She was nominated for best picture and best director, with this being her directorial debut. So one could see right off the bat why “Saltburn” had a lot of hype around it before it even premiered.
“Saltburn” is a weird, intense movie that displays courage in its convictions. As the layers of this film
begin peeling off, it becomes a compelling film that will haunt you. This film will have you questioning yourself and your relationships: Has anyone ever been obsessed with me like that? All of these thoughts will flow like bathwater through your brain, lavender scented bathwater.
In the end, you will come to the conclusion that all the hype was justified. Life is complicated; people are complicated, self indulgent, toxic and well-guarded in a pretty wrapped package, and that’s captivating.
Imagine if Shakespeare and Sophocles had a baby. Midsomer meets Greek tragedy, via bubble bath. That’s Golden Globe nominee for best picture, “Saltburn.”
The best way to see any movie is blind, and this is one of those movies. See it and judge for yourself. Love it or hate it, you will have digested the art; you formed your opinion. The critically acclaimed, award winning movie has everyone talking for a reason. Clear the noise, and let the art live. This film deserves it.
This movie is a visual feast of beautiful cinematography, with an all star cast. Barry Keoghan gives a brilliant performance as the complicated, many sided, Oliver Quick. Keoghan is quickly becoming every writer and director’s choice as a character actor. He is boldly supported by a talented cast. Jacob Elordi of “Kissing Booth” and “Euphoria” fame brings the tall, dark and handsome to this film as Felix Catton.
Oliver meets Felix while studying at Oxford. The film takes place in 1994, and retrospectively represents the bad fashion of the early nineties. Oliver is a lost puppy, left on the doorstep of Felix’s dorm room. Felix is all too kind to save Oliver from his horrible beginnings at Oxford, resulting from being a middle class scholarship student with no friends. Felix is from an aristocratic family that loves to bring strays home to their palatial estate Saltburn. Felix’s father, Sir James Catton, is played by Richard E. Grant, while Rosamund steals the show as Lady Elspeth. Archie Maekwe and Sadie Soverall add more layers to the cast, while Carrie Mulligan drops a boozy friend home from rehab in our laps. Just when you think this star studded cast are all tall, dark and handsome with witty delivery, they give you a beautifully wicked tale of privilege and desire that collides with your not so basic tale of bringing a friend home for the summer.
Last but not least, the music from this movie will be stuck in your head for weeks. Song choices and the musical score add another intricate layer to this intriguing film brought to you by Amazon, MGM
Studios, Lie Still, Lucky Chap Entertainment, and Executive Producer Margot Robbie.
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