FILM PICK OF THE WEEK

A kind of Brideshead Revisited for the 21st century, this polished drama from the multi-talented writer-director (and actor) Emerald Fennell is a solid follow-up to her much-admired 2020 debut Promising Young Woman.

It is set mostly in 2006 and tells the story of gifted scholarship Merseyside lad Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) who arrives at Oxford to study English and, inevitably, initially has trouble fitting in with the posh kids who make up the majority of the student body. He is at first befriended by another awkward outsider who he coolly discards once he gains the attention of handsome rich boy Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi).

Oliver comes to Felix’s rescue when he finds him trying – and failing – to repair a puncture, offering his own bike so that Felix isn’t late for a tutorial. Felix is incredibly grateful but his privilege and entitlement are apparent in his assumption that Oliver will also wheel his disabled bike back to college for him. A friendship of sorts develops and Felix, affected by Oliver’s stories of a tough home life and parents struggling with addiction, invites him to stay for the summer at his family home of Saltburn.

That turns out to be a small stately home in a picturesque setting with servants and dressing for dinner, formal gardens and aristocratic parents Sir James (a magnificently rumpled and eccentric Richard E Grant) and Elspeth (cool, haughty Rosamund Pike). Also at Saltburn is houseguest Pamela (a wonderful cameo from Carey Mulligan) who is escaping a painful past but who is seemingly outstaying her welcome. These are people who don’t even know where Liverpool is – “on the coast, isn’t it?” says Elspeth; “in the north,” replies Sir James.

As the summer unfolds there are parties on the lawn, approaches towards Oliver by Felix’s troubled sister Venetia (Alison Oliver) and a certain amount of simmering resentment emanating from the Cattons’ cousin and ward Farleigh (Archie Madekwe), the son of Sir James’ wayward sister who ran away to America. Farleigh feels as though Oliver is in some way taking his place in the family – and it is clear that Elspeth is entranced by him. She likes a good story of hardship.

With the Brideshead references firmly established, the narrative eventually segues into Patricia Highsmith’s Talented Mr Ripley territory as we begin to learn that Oliver is not quite what he seems…