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Saltburn (2023)

After a little bit of time away, I’m finally back to carry on with this website and what better way to bring back the reviews than with one of the most-talked about films of recent weeks. That’s right. We’re diving into the scandalous world of Emerald Fennell’s sophomore film, Saltburn. The film follows Merseyside-born Oliver (Barry Keoghan), an Oxford student who becomes close friends with fellow student and aristocrat, Felix (Jacob Elordi). The film opens up to a world of class divides, drugs, and plenty of sex.

Written and directed by Emerald Fennell, the visionary behind the incredible Promising Young Woman (2020), Saltburn is an unflinching glance at society. Fennell’s direction is confident and dynamic. Despite only having two features under her belt, her signature aesthetic and style is evident. The screenplay is filled with charismatic characters. The first act of the film is oddly paced but once we are at Saltburn, Fennell’s writing truly takes flight. The exchanges between Oliver and the Catton family members really showcase how much of an outsider he is.

Barry Keoghan provides a tour-de-force performance as Oliver Quick. Keoghan has proven himself to be one of the best young actors working today. Following his Best Supporting Actor win at the BAFTAs for The Banshees of Inisherin, it’s great to see Keoghan lead a film. Oliver is a deeply complex character and the way Keoghan portrays him feels intimate without actually letting us in. His unpredictability makes the film, especially in the final act, extremely exciting.

Jacob Elordi is fantastic as aristocrat, Felix Catton. The audience quickly learns that Felix lives a life in blissful ignorance as he constantly dismisses his upbringing while simultaneously revelling in the benefits of living an upper-class lifestyle. Elordi portrays Felix as an aspiration that, try as he might, Oliver will never achieve.

The standout supporting performance in this film goes to Rosamund Pike as Felix’s mother, Elspeth Catton. Pike can always be trusted to provide a flawless performance (watch Gone Girl and I Care a Lot as proof) and Saltburn is no exception. It is no coincidence that the majority of highlights include Elspeth. From her first scene where she discusses Northern prejudices and stereotypes with “Poor Dear” Pamela (Carey Mulligan) to her final scenes with Oliver, Pike is an absolute joy to watch. Like Felix, she believes she is progressive when

The cinematography by Linus Sandgren is impeccable, emoting the richness of the Catton family. Sandgren does a fantastic job of bringing out Oliver’s inner conflict and desire to climb to the top. The use of mirrors in the film gives Sandgren the chance to convey a psychedelic quality that makes watching the film like a fever dream. Saltburn transforms from a traditional country estate to a house of madness.

Overall, Saltburn is a film that takes the audience completely by surprise. Fennell has proven her strength as a visionary yet again. While the screenplay may not pack a punch as much as Promising Young Woman did, Oliver is a fantastic protagonist and Keoghan’s performance made Saltburn such an exhililerating watch.

What did you think of Saltburn? Let me know in the comments below!

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Top 5 Carey Mulligan Performances

One of the best actresses working today, Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan is a brilliant talent who can excel in any genre of film. Her latest venture as unconventional vigilante Cassie in the fantastic Promising Young Woman has made waves and is very likely to bring her another slew of award wins and nominations. She can also be seen in the Netflix drama The Dig which further cements her place as Hollywood royalty (you can read my review for The Dig here). Having worked with a variety of auteur directors and mainstream directors, Mulligan is one of the most versatile actresses working today. Having played strong women for her whole career, Mulligan has an effortless flair where she is able to tap into her characters and really dig deep.

As Mulligan’s star has only proven to rise and rise, it’s clear that she is at the very top of her game and with that in mind, I wanted to celebrate her incredible career by looking back at my top 5 performances. Just these choice alone show her range and ability to adapt to both leading and supporting roles with ease.

Here are the top 5 Carey Mulligan performances in chronological order:

An Education (2009)

Mulligan’s breakthrough as a lead in Lone Scherfig’s stellar coming of age drama, An Education. Set in the 1960s with the script written by Nick Hornby, Mulligan plays Jenny, a 16 year old school girl with aspirations to go to Oxford University who is seduced by an older man (Peter Sarsgaard) and her life quickly veers off track. Mulligan quickly gathered global acclaim for her performance as intelligent and naive Jenny winning her the BAFTA for Leading Actress and receiving a slew of nominations at the major awards show including an Academy Award nomination. Personally, I think she should have won for her performance but hopefully we will see her victorious. Her performance is tremendously layered and contrasted as Jenny is clearly a strong and capable young woman but at the end of the day she is still a teenager and is misguided by the adults around her.

Never Let Me Go (2010)

A film often overlooked but has long been a favourite of mine, Never Let Me Go is a beautiful adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s best selling novel. Directed by Mark Romanek and a script written by Ex Machina director Alex Garland, Mulligan shines as lead character Kathy H. Following a group of children who are raised to be “donors”, giving their vital organs for operations when grown, Never Let Me Go shows the human side to these characters whom society doesn’t deem worthy. Having loved her friend Tommy D (Andrew Garfield) since they were in school and watching him and her best friend, Ruth C (Keira Knightley) get in a relationship, we see how Kathy’s life seems to be shunned to the side by her friends as well as society. We see the world through Kathy H’s eyes and through Mullugan’s performance, we invest and see the film as a drama over a dystopian story.

Drive (2011)

2011 saw a double bill of phenomenal supporting performances by Mulligan with the first being her turn as Irene in Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive. When it comes to this film, the mind immediately goes to Ryan Gosling as the lead character but among all of the absurdity and violence that occurs in this film, it’s Mulligan’s performance that grounds the film and exposes the emotional attachment that the lead character has in the film. Living next door to The Driver (Gosling), Irene lives with her young son and a relationship between her and The Driver quickly develops. However, when Irene’s husband is released from prison, problems unfold. Mullugan isn’t in the film a lot but she works with what she has to ensure that her presence is felt throughout the film, especially when her safety is at risk.

Shame (2011)

The next selection is the second supporting role that Mulligan had in 2011. If you are a regular reader then you know how I absolutely love Steve McQueen’s films (read my McQueen ranking here) and Mulligan is perfectly cast as Sissy, sister of protagonist Brandon (Michael Fassbender). The film revolves around sex addict Brandon who finds his addiction getting worse and out of control. His life is turned upside down when Sissy arrives unexpectedly at his apartment with nowhere else to go. Both siblings have their troubles as Sissy struggles with self harm and depression but she is hopeful that the two can help each other get over their problems. Shame is not an easy film to watch and it is extremely explicit with the issues discussed but the direction and performances showcase the range and talent. Mulligan is a supporting role but her performance is just as important to the film as Fassbender’s. It is thanks to Sissy’s character that we really see the conflict in Brandon laid bare for the audience to see.

Promising Young Woman (2020)

Probably the most fearless role Mulligan has done, Promising Young Woman deserves all of the acclaim that it has and more. I have written a full review which you can read here. Needless to say that Mulligan will no doubt receive an array of award nominations and hopefully win as well. Her performance as Cassie, a young woman who’s future was ripped away after her best friend was raped and committed suicide, is heart breaking and terrifying, showing how far one will go to right the wrongs.

There are even more performances I could have included in this list but the ones I have selected really showcase Mulligan’s range in terms of screen time and genre. The consistent thread with all of her performances is that she always makes the most whether she is the protagonist or has a smaller role. Mulligan is an actress who adapts an intellectual approach and clearly delves deep into her characters and with Promising Young Woman, it feels like she has cemented herself as a strong leading woman to the masses.

What is your favourite performance by Carey Mullugan? Let me know in the comments below!

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Promising Young Woman (2020)

One of my most anticipated films of 2020 that was delayed due to the pandemic was Promising Young Woman. Directed and written by Emerald Fennell in her directorial debut and starring Carey Mulligan as Cassie, a woman who pretends to be intoxicated and then confronts the men who try to take advantage of her. Proving to be one of the best original films to come into the 2021 awards season, this is a shining moment for Mulligan and Fennell, putting films made by and starring women at the forefront. In a year that has seen Nomadland and First Cow be recognised among the Best Picture categories at various festivals, there has been a real breakthrough in mainstream frontrunners that are made by women. This could be a year that sees more than one woman nominated for Best Director.

Reading the initial plot and seeing the trailer is enough to cause a lot of hype and controversy because of the subject matter. However, this is a necessary film during a time where women are often ignored or not believed and are left feeling like they are the guilty party. Surprisingly, what stands out about Promising Young Woman is that it is truly made from the female gaze perspective and Fennell’s direction is hugely impressive. Her distinct and aggressive vision works so well when building up the moments of tension as we try to figure out what is going on in Cassie’s mind. This is very much a character driven film in which we dive into Cassie’s psyche and her unpredictability makes this one of the most original thrillers of recent years.

Mulligan brings a career best in her role as Cassie which is incredible considering the calibre of her previous performances. I don’t doubt that she will be receiving many nominations for Best Actress at all of the major awards shows, with many critics saying she should actually win. Mulligan’s range is showcased from the first scene as she transitions from intoxicated and vulnerable to fearless and confrontational. Noting down the names of the men she confronts, Cassie leads a double life albeit unsuccessfully. As her underground mission thrives, her personal and professional life suffers. She turns 30 but lives at her parents with no longterm plan in place. As everything begins to settle with Ryan, Cassie is at an inner conflict with herself and what she should do moving forward. It would have been so easy for many actors to overly do this role but Mulligan has the perfect subtly and restraint needed to provide a performance that is perfectly well-rounded. At the end of it all, Cassie is a flawed individual with a strong motive that has kept her anchored to the past and she’s come to the point where she has to move on with the film chronicling this struggle.

In support, Bo Burnham plays Ryan, Cassie’s love interest. Having been a pupil at medical school with Cassie before she dropped out, Ryan is sweet and good-natured. On the surface, he is everything that the men who encounter Cassie aren’t and this is alien to Cassie who doesn’t know how to emotional open herself up to him. What is great about Burnham is how subtle his performance is. Whereas Cassie is calculating and cold, he is warm and light, the perfect opposite for Cassie. Naturally, Ryan isn’t aware of Cassie’s antics which makes for a differing perspective when he sees her out and about with another man who she is luring into her trap. As the audience is aware of the act, it is easy to forget that it is something that no one else knows. Seeing his bewildered and disappointed reaction as he believes she isn’t interested in him at all is heartbreaking. It’s this naivity that makes his dark past seem all the more shocking during the start of the third act.

The score by Anthony Willis is phenomenal. Bringing tones from old-school horror with screeching violins and combining it with a modern beat that meshes together to bring a unique sound that works perfectly with the film. There are also a lot of romantic string pieces that would fit into any period drama such as the piece that plays when Ryan forgives Cassie and asks her out on another date. Alongside the pop inspired soundtrack that includes tracks from the Spice Girls and Paris Hilton which are more uplifting. Music is integral to the film, especially Hilton’s “Stars Are Blind” which makes for the backing track for an emotional montage that tracks Cassie and Ryan’s relationship.

Promising Young Woman has proven itself to be a hugely impressive film and will probably be one of my strong favourites going into awards season. Fennell has knocked it out of the park in her directorial debut and I hope she gets recognition for her script, particularly and Mulligan is bound to receive a slew of award nominations and wins. It’s a film that I will be thinking about and wanting to rewatch when it is released. With so many themes and complex characters, there is so much to discuss and I am sure it is a film that will be referenced a lot in the future, especially when discussing feminist films and films made through the female gaze.

What did you think of Promising Young Woman? Let me know what you think in the comments below!