Barry Keoghan. © 2023 Amazon MGM Studios, MRC, LuckyChap Entertainment, and Lie Still. Directed by Emerald Fennell.
Watched it at 59th The Chicago International Film Festival @ Music Box (CIFF #2)
Q&A Section Included We're All About to Lose Our Minds After the amazing crazy film from Emerald Fennell's directorial debut, she amps up the eroticism and insanity of her characters which leads to unexpected turns. That is what best defined for Fennell's sophomore feature Saltburn. It takes approaches that are risky yet rewarding through the protagonist and the characters surrounding him. Not a lot of people will approach and take away from this film in a positive light but it sure does serve a pack a punch throughout its daring sequences. Let's go to Saltburn and see the wonderfulness of this unique broken estate. Story: A student at Oxford University finds himself drawn into the world of a charming and aristocratic classmate, who invites him to his eccentric family's sprawling estate for a summer never to be forgotten. The sensation of this film is all over the place but in a good way. Fennell's unique screenplay really delves into the psychological mind of Oliver (Barry Keoghan) and his insane love for Felix (Jacob Elordi). His character arc starts slow but as the film progresses, the flow of the energy doesn't stop. The relationship between Oliver and Felix is very well written. There is nuance through Oliver's point of view of the palace and his feelings towards Felix's family. It touches on each one of them through Oliver's point of view and it's well-balanced to see how he feels about the family. The structure here in the film is similar to her past film but a bit longer which does add depth to Oliver but also adds tension to each character's dilemma. Alongside her unique script, Fennell's directing here is amazing. There are unique moments in the film that give an artsy vibe while giving a thriller or horror vibe. Her creative decisions here could be polarizing because there are scenes in the film that will leave you a bit traumatized or disgusted. However, it lets you get inside the mind of the character in those scenes which opens the vulnerability of that character. It's clever writing and direction with the support of the amazing performances from each actor. Barry Keoghan is great in the film. He gets to play a unique character who is seeking love and something more erotic. His performance is wild in the second half but he really encaptivates the character and it's a wild ride from start to finish. Jacob Elordi is also surprisingly great. After only seeing him in Euphoria (thank god I didn't watch The Kissing Both), I was hoping he would play a character that would not only fit his personality but play a character that allow a bit of character freedom. What I can report back is that this is his best performance since Euphoria. His character and performance are charming in a way that could be very jocky. Yet, his chemistry with Keoghan's character is very daunting and intimate. The supporting cast here all around are great. The biggest standouts would be Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant. They elevate the drama and comedy in the film. Plus, their chemistry with each other characters is unnatural yet good. As I mentioned in my last paragraph, the screenplay alongside its story is well written. There are interesting unique twist and turns that elevates the plot and the climax. The plot lets you be with the characters in the good and weird moments while the eroticism and beauty start to take over the story. You can even look at this film's story as a chaotic party family drama but really, it's a vampire story. Without spoilers, during a Q&A panel with Fennell, she said "We just knew exactly the kind of gothic, sort of, sexy. kind of, erotic thing, we wanted to make. And I think with Suzie Davies, the production designer, and with everyone else too, I think the thing is if we are making something this kind of, I suppose, knowingly aesthetic, that kind of took place on sort of beautyism and literature, your sort of acknowledging things but also making your own thing." (Taken from a Post Q&A during the Chicago International Film Festival 2023).
With the aesthetics and gothic storytelling that inspired this original story, Fennell wants audiences to be clear that when Keoghan's character journey begins at the estate, it's going to be erotic, chilling, and jolting. See the film for yourself and you will come out with many reactions all at once. Even with its psychological story, Fennell made sure the technical side of the film hits the spot to bring this story to life.
Fennell went all in with the cinematography, production design, and even editing of this film. I really dig the academy aspect ratio which allows the beauty of the production design done by Davies to be shown in its full glory. Plus, Linus Sandgren's camera work here is beautiful and colorful as well. I really love the mixture of orange, red, and blue colors including the close-ups in this film. The estate is pretty enormous and the way they shot it is very smooth. Plus, there are interesting framing choices that allow the audience to delve into a certain character. The editing here is also great with its smooth pacing and the score feels so romantic yet daunting and un-natural. The costume designs here are underrated, especially during the big party scene. Overall, it's a very well-made technical film that helps bring the story to its full potential. However, there are flaws behind this magnificent estate of a film. The film can be a bit of a mess with its plot. There is a lot to take in and while it keeps you entertained, it can be a bit too much all at once. There were moments when I had no idea what was going on yet, but I was still entertained. Again, there are interesting directing choices that people will be divisive on but I thought they were darkly smart. However, the film tries to juggle some ideas or plot strings that need to match the overall story or even the intentions of the protagonist. The biggest scene that people will love or hate will be the ending. For me, I thought it was a solid ending but it left me questioning about the state of the protagonist and the world around him. Even with those small flaws, I was still thrilled by the film's nature of its story and characters. Beyond the beautiful darkly estate full of emotions and desires, this is Fennell's most unapologetic sexy, and daring film that she has made. Filled with great performances from Barry Keoghan and Rosamund Pike, alongside its unique screenplay and story, it's a film that dares to tackle unique subjects and themes that ultimately surround desires and temptation. While this film will slip under the radar during awards season, it is sure a film that doesn't hold back on anything it is showing. Especially that grave scene...yeah, I drank bleach right after that.
Now Playing Only in Theaters!
Vizeit Score: "A-"
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Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Chief/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
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Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman. © 2023 Columbia Pictures/Sony, Saks Picture Company, Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment, and Excellent Cadaver. Directed by Gene Stupnitsky.
Early Screening at AMC Theaters
Pretty, Awkward Never in a million years that we would see another rom-com in the modern Hollywood landscape. You will get canceled, get called out, or other dumb shit. However, Jennifer Lawrence and the creators of this film didn't give a flying fuck about anything. They took every risk and joke they can make and the result is hilarious from beginning to end. This is the rom-com film that I miss when they took risky routes and made it edgy yet hilarious. It's the summer comedy of this year and you will read why this film is hilarious and sometimes, drunk as fuck. Story: On the brink of losing her childhood home, a desperate woman agrees to date a wealthy couple's introverted and awkward 19-year-old son before he leaves for college. Typically in any rom-com film, you would have crude jokes, dumbass scenes, and over-the-top lines that only fan-fiction writers would write. This is straight up that but much better in terms of visual gags, writing, and performances. I really laughed my ass off throughout this film and the jokes here are straight-up hilarious and dumb yet entertaining. Not many comedies today give me the same laugh-out-loud moments as this film. It's refreshing to go back to the 90s tropes into a modern look of teenagers. Two generations collide and none of them can get along. Society, ladies, and gentlemen. Anyways, the plot of this film is actually pretty good. While it has the typical comedic cliches, there are some fresh elements that kept the story entertaining and not stale while still being crude as fuck. The theme is pretty simple which is moving on from the past and embracing a new future while becoming a better lover. I like how this film tackles these themes with not just the main character but the co-lead as well. Love and overcoming your struggles. Pretty straightforward but in a raunchy R-rated comedy. There are some unexpected turns in this comedy and while logically, it's dumb, it just serves it off to make an ending that can be good or bad based on how you feel about the film. Well for me, I like the ending not because it's not cliché as fuck, but because it has heart and conclusion to it.
The characters in this film are very good. I really enjoyed Jennifer Lawrence's performance and she really carried the film for half of the film. What I mean by that is the other side characters weren't interesting until the drama really started to kick in with more edgy humor. I wasn't interested in Andrew Barth Feldman's character as Percy until mid-way through when his character starts to get crazier. However, the side characters later on were much better and I'm happy every side character gets a closure...including that cocaine dog. The comedy here is very edgy and crude but it works well. The visual gags really help elevate the comedy and with some context behind it, it flows very well. While it can be very on the nose, it sure made me chuckle. The cinematography here is pretty good and the editing here is solid. The CGI can be very noticeable but it's nice they use some practicality. The pacing is fast yet it didn't bother me which is great. Overall, this film really got me entertained from beginning to end with hilarious performances and a simple story with meaning behind it. However, I still have some criticisms.
One of those criticism is the editing itself. The CGI/VFX is very noticeable and there are some weird editing moments that kind of took me off the film for a second. Editing is still solid but there are questionable cuts that could've been fixed with another pair of eyes in the editor's room. Some of the side characters are okay at best, but the plot can be a little tangy and predictable, and while this is not a negative for me, it can piss off some people because people can be "offended". What a world...just watch Booksmart instead. Still, I had a good time with this peak romcom. This film was a pleasant surprise. It has edgy comedy that I missed, hilarious performances, a solid plot, and is widely entertaining. This is the romcom of 2023 and I'm happy it's making a return. While it can be raunchy and insane in this current landscape, it is still a nice throwback to witness edgy comedy at its finest like its fine wine. Now Playing Only in Theaters! Vizeit Score: "B+" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for continuing supporting my indie cinema website.) Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Cheif/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC]) |
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