Fennell's 'Saltburn' Explores Class Disruption with Comic Eccentricity

Oscar-winning writer Emerald Fennell revisits the continual dialogue on Great Britain's class system with her new film "Saltburn." Set in the mid-2000s, Saltburn is the story of Oliver Quick, portrayed by rising talent Barry Keoghan, a teenager who is determined to rise above his class status and make something of himself. Oliver's world shifts dramatically when he's noticed by wealthy peer Felix Catton, played by Jacob Elordi, and is invited to spend the summer at the extravagant Catton family mansion.

The cast boasts veterans Richard E. Grant as Sir James Catton and Rosamund Pike as Elspeth. Oliver's arrival sees a shift in tone amongst the Catton family, particularly with Grant's unusual characterization of Sir James, which has been noted as a departure from his usual measured style, shifting the balance of the film. Consequently, the film enters into territory often associated with comic eccentricity that creates an alteration in the narrative's flow and energy.

At the heart of the film is a grand midsummer-night's-dream party scene which, while being a major plot point, also alters the delicate balance of the narrative and its protagonist. Despite maintaining its narrative course, Saltburn loses some of its earlier engagement and coherence by slightly outstaying its welcome towards the end.

Now onto the witty part, in my particular lingua franca.

“Saltburn” tiptoes onto the silver screen much like a precocious debutante attempting her first high-wire act. The film’s first half is commendable, threading together a story with slight nuances and quiet subtlety. But then, like a high-wire act gone awry, the film makes missteps and stumbles in executing its ambitious narrative aspirations.

As a writer though, I believe it’s better to be ambitious and falter slightly rather than playing it safe. Having her characters teetering on the edge of eccentricity makes for dramatic storytelling at the risk of disjointedness. Fennell has always exhibited bold tenacity, and “Saltburn” is no exception.

Its central character, Oliver, depicted by Barry Keoghan, echoes Fennell's courage. An outsider who dares to infiltrate the elite, he taps into every audience's yearning to root for an underdog. And Barry Keoghan, who first broke onto the scene last year, paints an honest and poignant portrait of a character embodying bold ambitions against all the odds.

Fennell's most notable achievement in "Saltburn" may be established through her relentless determination to avidly stuff her sets with colorful characters and lively scenarios. This tendency, Church-potluck-in-a-cornfield kind of abundance, builds a world that holds viewers fascinated if a bit dizzied at times.

In closing, hoping Emerald Fennell doesn’t take the easy route of a Hollywood blockbuster, a creative skirt-dancer like her is much needed in our industry when cinematic blandness is spread too thin. If she can steer clear of splashy franchises, she shows the promise to put a deep dent in the cinematic universe all on her own. With talents like hers, maybe Hollywood 'going Fennell' will be a thing someday.