Prepare to be enthralled and possibly a bit disturbed as we, Michael Pishonery and Addy A'Shula, along with our guest AJ, offer an unflinching critique of wealth and its follies through our discussion of the dark comedy "Saltburn." This episode promises to unravel the psychological twists of a film that's as darkly humorous as it is thought-provoking. We're not just talking about the plot here; we're dissecting the film's take on class dynamics, the impact of an outsider's seductive creepiness on a wealthy family, and Barry Keoghan's spellbinding performance. Carrie Mulligan and Rosamund Pike's smaller but no less significant roles also come under our spotlight, as does the movie's ability to shock and intrigue with scenes that push the envelope.
Venture into the realm of the privileged elite with us as we dissect the necessity of shock value in film. Is it just a ploy to hook viewers, or is there a deeper meaning behind the hedonistic depictions of the rich? Listen as we debate whether the portrayal of wealth in "Saltburn" eclipses its artistic quality or enhances its narrative. The discussion takes a turn towards a transformative moment within the film, contemplating metaphorical interpretations of power shifts and personal metamorphosis. We'll also delve into how the casting choices contribute to the movie's thematic layers, creating a relatable yet surreal experience for the audience.
Wrapping up our in-depth conversation, we speculate on the ambiguous outcomes for the characters, particularly the elusive Elspeth and the machinations of the mysterious Oliver. As we share our personal standout moments, we analyze the broader social commentary "Saltburn" offers on class and privilege, and how it contrasts the lives of the untouchable wealthy against the striving middle class. Don't miss our insights on the film’s intricate details, which shape the narrative and leave a lasting impression. Discover which scenes left us awestruck, and join us in the examination of a film that boldly challenges viewers with its narrative choices and stunning conclusions.
Prepare to be enthralled and possibly a bit disturbed as we, Michael Pishonery and Addy A'Shula, along with our guest AJ, offer an unflinching critique of wealth and its follies through our discussion of the dark comedy "Saltburn." This episode promises to unravel the psychological twists of a film that's as darkly humorous as it is thought-provoking. We're not just talking about the plot here; we're dissecting the film's take on class dynamics, the impact of an outsider's seductive creepiness on a wealthy family, and Barry Keoghan's spellbinding performance. Carrie Mulligan and Rosamund Pike's smaller but no less significant roles also come under our spotlight, as does the movie's ability to shock and intrigue with scenes that push the envelope.
Venture into the realm of the privileged elite with us as we dissect the necessity of shock value in film. Is it just a ploy to hook viewers, or is there a deeper meaning behind the hedonistic depictions of the rich? Listen as we debate whether the portrayal of wealth in "Saltburn" eclipses its artistic quality or enhances its narrative. The discussion takes a turn towards a transformative moment within the film, contemplating metaphorical interpretations of power shifts and personal metamorphosis. We'll also delve into how the casting choices contribute to the movie's thematic layers, creating a relatable yet surreal experience for the audience.
Wrapping up our in-depth conversation, we speculate on the ambiguous outcomes for the characters, particularly the elusive Elspeth and the machinations of the mysterious Oliver. As we share our personal standout moments, we analyze the broader social commentary "Saltburn" offers on class and privilege, and how it contrasts the lives of the untouchable wealthy against the striving middle class. Don't miss our insights on the film’s intricate details, which shape the narrative and leave a lasting impression. Discover which scenes left us awestruck, and join us in the examination of a film that boldly challenges viewers with its narrative choices and stunning conclusions.
Hey everyone, and welcome to another episode of Movies Worth Seeing. On today's episode, I'm Michael Pishonery, joined by Addy A'Shula and AJ. Special guest for today's episode who said you could?
Speaker 2:press my button.
Speaker 1:Love it. Speaking of pressing buttons, we're talking about Saltburn, the latest dark comedy. Would you call this a dark comedy? I call it fucked up.
Speaker 1:A film that combines dark comedy, a critique of wealth and psychological thrills. Saltburn Today is a spoiler review. Spoiler talk because it is incredibly difficult to review this movie without going into detail, and I've had the great fortune of seeing this movie twice now and AJ finally got to finish it. She got really scared and couldn't finish it, but due to our support she was able to finish it today, which is great. We're proud of you and Addy. For Addy it's one of his favorite movies now.
Speaker 3:He loves it. I went into it without knowing anything about it and I regret that.
Speaker 1:But you loved every minute of it especially all the gross fucked up scenes. How do we start? Ok, so how would you describe the plot of Saltburn? I'd say it's like the Saltburn is like the talented Mr Ripley in that it's a story that involves an outsider coming into a family of wealth and systematically destroying them and making them all come undone.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, like infiltrating into the, into their property.
Speaker 2:Something to do with class as well.
Speaker 1:It's so good to have a female on the show today, to get a different perspective as well, because otherwise we would just be talking about Come Fuck, I was sucking. I wasn't going to say that, but OK, it's good to know what's on your mind, addy, when you're in the room. Ok, never mind, keep going.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I guess it's hard not to talk about this movie without talking about that because there's such prominent scenes where it is a big character in the whole theme of the movie. Yeah, maybe I'm Barry Keegan man. He is amazing, yeah, yeah, what did you guys think of his performance?
Speaker 3:I thought he was just like. His presence was just. He was just there, like there was not a second. You would question the reality of everything he's doing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, great, great review of an actor's performance, addy. Like he was just there, I don't know he shows up and he's there.
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, that's a requirement, isn't it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I guess. So I mean, for some actors they can't even do that, so that's a good point, aj, what were your thoughts on Barry?
Speaker 2:I thought he was great. Like the first half he was really awkward and shy, but then the second half he brought that confidence and that creepiness that, like, wasn't revealed in the beginning. That kind of shows his skills, I think.
Speaker 1:I don't know, is it also kind of sexy in a way, in a messed up way?
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's a few scenes where he's like just like whispering and I'm like I don't find you attractive, but something's up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Addy was thinking the same thing.
Speaker 3:Something was definitely up.
Speaker 1:Oh man, and after seeing Promising Young Woman, I'm sure you saw a lot of like crossover, being that both films are directed by a what's her name Emerald, I'm so bad with names?
Speaker 2:Fat, fano, oh no.
Speaker 1:I'm so bad with names Emerald Fafanik or something.
Speaker 2:Fano.
Speaker 1:I think you're right. I trust your opinion, yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, Carrie Mulligan I love her. She's my favourite actress, Even though she's got such a tiny role in this film. She was really funny.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Like really different. I don't know.
Speaker 1:And the same with Rosamund Pike. Like they're so good at being like these typical like oh, oh, you are your beautiful darling.
Speaker 3:Oh, your eyes are gorgeous.
Speaker 1:But the others are just ghastly and they go go in and get me a cup of tea. Dude, Pop off, pop off, cheerio, I love it.
Speaker 2:So British.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love it. There was one quote where the dad, the patriarch of the family, says damn it, you with your American feelings.
Speaker 3:And I was like that's such a British thing to say.
Speaker 1:Just criticise someone and say like oh, how dare you be emotional. That is purely American, not like us Brits Love it. Yeah. What's stood out to you the most?
Speaker 2:Where to start.
Speaker 3:Everything that happened is just extremely unexpected, like the twists. It's not what the eventual sequence of events is, not that Unexpected, but the way it's done, like Barry's character, baza Baza. Oh all of us Actions. The way why he doesn't, how he doesn't is just so twisted and completely unexpected, especially while starting from him and Venetia, venetia.
Speaker 1:Venetia. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's, it's like where?
Speaker 3:where did that twist come from? That's the one question I have.
Speaker 1:Well, we can break that down because, first thing, well, when the twist, when, when this big shift happens for Oliver, this character going from this awkward shy to sexually seductive and charming and manipulative persona, james Bond Sort of but in a dark version of it, I guess, if James Bond was gay and Bye.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, if James Bond was bi, yeah, bye.
Speaker 1:And liked flopping his dick out everywhere.
Speaker 3:Yeah and fuck a grave.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Why did he fuck the sorry? We'll get back to that.
Speaker 1:The best part of watching this movie was just Addie's reaction of like wait, what, what the fuck? Why is that happening now? Where did that come from?
Speaker 3:He just liked to stick his dick in every hole he could find.
Speaker 1:And did you relate to that, barry God?
Speaker 3:Yes, not very relatable.
Speaker 1:But it reminded me of someone. Yes, yes, he did like to stick his dick in a lot of things.
Speaker 2:And his fingers.
Speaker 1:And his fingers and his tongue. Why do you really think there was a big shift? Or do you think it was just him hiding what he was all along?
Speaker 3:Well, yeah, he was definitely hiding what was going on all along. But what? That's the one question I have about this movie, besides all the other questions. The big question I had is like where, why, how was he such a charmer with her? Where did that come from? Suddenly, it was like from the shyest guy who was like afraid to take anything from someone else kind of thing. Even though there was there, was put on Like I get that it was all played, manipulated, but where did something, the shift, come from that he decided as a character? Now it's my time to become charming.
Speaker 3:Now it's my time to start manipulating him fully, like with the confidence, not just.
Speaker 1:I think that he did a really good job of surveying the room and working out all the family's weaknesses, while in that shy, awkward kind of cutesy, innocent persona. And then he slurped the super semen from the bathroom bathtub and was like I have super powers of charm now. And that's when he was like now I need to make my moves. But I think the the piece is what just kind of fell in a place there when it seemed obvious to him that now's the time to strike.
Speaker 3:Is it that he like took each character privately, Like in the public he was like shy, but then like when he got the chance to be with one character in private everyone except for Felix he would bring out his confidence and be like completely eradicating their confidence, kind of thing.
Speaker 2:I think it's. Yeah, I think it's like that, and also it's like a film technique, I guess, to bring the audience into those intimate moments. It's like a reveal.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it's not just the story, but it's also for, like, how to shock audiences or how to make the story work.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was a good way of like putting a shocking kind of shift right in the midpoint of the movie to be like whoa.
Speaker 1:You know I have to, because you probably had an idea that it was going to go one way. And then that was the moment where the movie was like we're going a completely different path now, yeah, where we realize that Oliver is not actually the hero of this story, he's not this innocent outsider that's going to be used, abused and thrown back to the, to the, to the middle class, but he's actually got his own plan in place. I thought it was like him, that's. He was just always a chameleon and he just picked the right moments to strike.
Speaker 2:Yeah, mm, hmm.
Speaker 1:And, yeah, he got time one on one with all the family members to survey their weaknesses, work out what makes them tick, and plant seeds with all of them and in a way, he knew what they were going to do like two steps ahead. Two steps ahead which is why he was able to like why flirting with the sister. He knew that Farley would see it, complain to Felix and start a whole thing there. He knew that Farley was waiting for opportunities to fuck him up, which led to that great part. He was like, oh, who should you fuck? You could just fuck me.
Speaker 2:At one point you're like wait a sec.
Speaker 1:Is he hitting on him sexually? But actually no, it's just him saying you fucked me over. Now I'm literally going to fuck you yeah.
Speaker 3:And he did, did he?
Speaker 2:He did. I gave him a handi.
Speaker 3:Well, at least. And the spit. I assume the spit was the slide in.
Speaker 1:No, I don't know, you don't know, like you don't know.
Speaker 3:I mean you don't know that could be.
Speaker 1:I was assuming, see, the first time I saw it I thought he was fingering the asshole. The second time, upon further viewing, I realized that it could be a handy. We don't know. It completely changes the dynamic of the scene whether it's a finger up there or a handy. We might never know.
Speaker 2:This is what Reddit forums Mike is going to watch it a third time.
Speaker 1:I have to make sure I know exactly.
Speaker 3:I understand why you wanted to watch this twice. Next time we can just skip to these scenes, if you want.
Speaker 1:I'm sure there's lots of porn compilation.
Speaker 3:Just those? Oh God, that would be.
Speaker 1:I did love writing in the notes that, like the sperm gave him superpowers, like that's a great film theory in my mind there was an interesting thing that AJ said, though, you brought up like vampires, and they said someone said he's a vampire at one point.
Speaker 2:He said himself you're lucky, I'm a vampire when he was trying to lick the period.
Speaker 1:Yes, that makes me think that even though it's really fucking gross and shocking that scene, it also has another symbolic purpose to be like he is a literal vampire feeding off the blood of the rich, because otherwise I would just look at that scene and go that's super gross. And it didn't have to go that far, which is what I felt about a lot of the scenes in this movie. It was like the bathtub scene. We didn't have to see him slope the bathwater, we could have just like alluded to it.
Speaker 3:But that's the whole point of movie. They just like go like they want to shock you, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but why? That's what I get to is like is there really a purpose, or could you take that out and still have the movie accomplishing what?
Speaker 3:it says how would you allude to a guy to consume secondhand man juice out of a bathtub man juice?
Speaker 1:You would just like how do I put this? In an appropriate manner for YouTube.
Speaker 3:Man juice. I don't know how. How would you allude to that? I don't know.
Speaker 1:There's lots of symbolism in this movie and shots that perfectly illustrate that. He is not all there, and there's great ways that they use lighting and colors to kind of set this uneasy tone. So I just think, with all the creativity that they use to then be like, oh, we're just going to have a dude slip up bathwater.
Speaker 3:It's like but why did you do the bathwater? That's the one thing I still I don't understand, because you didn't love anyone.
Speaker 2:Felix has superpowers. He wants to get the charisma dude.
Speaker 3:That's how he got it.
Speaker 1:No, but seriously though this could actually be, so he's a vampire. He's a come vampire. Maybe there's a sexual charisma that he loves about Felix, because there's something about him watching Felix always hooking up with women, but he makes this point that he doesn't love him in that way, so it makes me feel like he loves him, but he is not in love with him. Then he says he hates him at the end.
Speaker 2:I feel like he's really obsessed with him, not as in like romantically, but just obsessed with the person.
Speaker 3:Is it maybe obsessed with everything he has?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's why, and that's why Maybe?
Speaker 3:But then why? So he takes everything he could from him, including his manges. But I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 1:But I don't understand the banging of the corpse like the actual.
Speaker 3:Maybe like a final fuck you.
Speaker 1:Oh, so a sign of disrespect.
Speaker 3:Perhaps, but he cries.
Speaker 1:Maybe it's to fake in case someone sees. So he can be like I'm just really emotional. And then they're like why is your dick out? He's like because I'm so upset, I'm so emotional, I miss him so much. I don't know. He's a fucking weird character. He's like very complex.
Speaker 3:But Look, it's a. It's such a good movie. I am 100% sure that it has a meaning behind that. It's not just for the shock purposes. So that's what I'm trying to work out.
Speaker 1:What, yeah, exactly what do you think, aj?
Speaker 2:About what Like, why they went that far yeah.
Speaker 1:Do you think that there is a purpose behind going that far with the shock value, or is it just purely to create controversy and hook people to want to see it?
Speaker 2:Well, I feel like if it was, if it's, if it didn't go that far, if all the scenes are just implied, then it would just be like a normal psychological thriller with good cinematography, and I feel like I probably wouldn't be as into the style of it. The shockiness is what I feel like stood out for me the most.
Speaker 1:But then does that mean that the movie isn't as good as we think it is, because all the best parts that we talk about are the shock value.
Speaker 2:But I feel like it could also be because, like every movie is about, like wealth and rich people have always taken it really far, because in a sense, I guess they're trying to show how hedonistic that world is, because they're not like normal people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because we did touch on this. There's a scene where they're in a thistle farm and there's Felix, his sister Venetia and their cousin Farley sitting naked in the thistle garden, the field, the fucking field. They're sitting in the field and then Oliver comes and they're like oh, you got to take your pants off, man, because everyone does it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, actually, why Now? Yeah, you said oh, now I understand it, now that you watched it for a second time.
Speaker 1:Well, it's kind of coming back to like what AJ is saying, that there's, when you cover a story on like this, this family of excessive wealth, there's a feeling that because of their excessive wealth, there's just a lack of moral boundaries of any kind and there's a feeling that just anything goes, because it's like they can do whatever they want. So they choose to do whatever they want and there's no repercussions. So therefore they're always pushing the boundaries and therefore that scene was kind of showing me that it's really fucked up in this family. But it's just the norm that, like the brother and sister and their cousin are going to be naked in a field and not think anything of it, that it's not weird at all. In fact, oliver is singled out as like you're so weird man I can't believe you still got your pants on, so okay.
Speaker 3:so basically, it is a really weird, strange lifestyle that is completely foreign to him, that he is adapting to to work his way in and to push them out.
Speaker 1:Well, it's also foreign to us, because we're watching him thinking the same thing.
Speaker 3:That was fucked up. Yeah, because we identify as someone who does not own a building like Saltburn. We identify more with Oliver until we realize that he's a parasite. So it's. I think it's really to show, indeed, how different how the two worlds between the two characters are so different, whereas we identify with one and then develop a comfortability with the second world, with the grandeur basically of the rich vision and lifestyle that the family has, and then he blossoms in that. That said, though, that watch parasite it's so similar. It's less messed up but way more psychologically kind of factor to it. Watch it.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:It's good.
Speaker 1:Nice.
Speaker 3:I gotta say they really cast good on the style. So Rosamund Pike in Gongo it's quite a similar style of like a lot of twists and turns and like messed up characters. You have Carrie Mulligan, of course, with promising young woman and you have Barry Keegan from you haven't seen.
Speaker 3:Benches of Finish Hearing Also messed up. It's like all the three movies in the three main characters. Well, carrie Mulligan is not really a main character but like the three big actors who are in it have done movies in the past that are so similar. It's like the thrill in the legs selling this kind of style of movie, and just works.
Speaker 2:Yeah, even Jacob Elody is from Euphoria and his character in Euphoria is kind of toxic as well. Really fucked up. Who is he? Felix, yeah, felix. He's so hot he is so hot, he's so hot.
Speaker 1:I remember the first time I watched it and seeing like all the shots of him, just like. I was like oh man, please don't be one of those movies Because, like when you first watch it, you think it's just going to be like this gay lover story. And it's so much more than that, so much more.
Speaker 3:I really thought it was going to be one of those movies, but with you two like anticipating on my reaction of how it's, going to turn out. I was like this is weird. It's like a gay love story, such a romance. You feel like these guys are going to make out and it's like okay, but cringe, but something's off. And it was off.
Speaker 1:It became a much more complex relationship because of that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, like so complex, I don't even know what it was.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I think it's just like Oliver just wants to be him and become him and in this weird fucked up way. That's why I like he does the slurping of the barf water His superpower. Yeah, to get the superpowers. I mean, I say it as a joke, but there's probably interpretations that are saying like no, that's 100% what he's going for there, Cause you do get this weird feeling that that is the catalyst where he changes completely and becomes a different person.
Speaker 2:Actually I got that the first time because I watched the bathtub sing and then it's the sing with the mom, and he was already like super confident. So the first time I watched it I had similar thoughts too, like did that give him?
Speaker 1:a little bit of a protein. Oh Jesus, yeah. The other great thing about this movie is just yeah, the cinematography and the colors and, like the midsummer night's dream themed party and you've got Oliver wearing these horns and I love those horns because it's so devilish kind of thing, right. Yeah, and you got Felix with the wings.
Speaker 3:The angel on the devil on the devil, just fucking.
Speaker 2:I love how like it's not full. Full, frank, oh, like. What kind of ratio would that be under?
Speaker 3:It was pretty much square, wasn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Slightly wider than tall, but it was pretty much square.
Speaker 2:But it looks so good.
Speaker 3:Looks so good. I loved it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's funny with aspect ratios. Sometimes they use specific ones to get across something Like like if it's square, or something to create like this box, feeling that maybe the characters are contained, or something like that. You know, there's always like weird symbolism behind some of those decisions.
Speaker 2:They did it in Maestro for the purpose of like decades, how each decade it's different ratio, but for this one I feel like it's more symbolic of rigid class structure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, there's definitely got to be a reasoning behind it. Fuck this so much. I just love how this family just believes in like ignorance is bliss, like their son dies and they're having lunch and they're like you got to eat the crepe like this. And can we have eggs poached, please? Thank you very much. And like oh, yes, close the curtains and like did you enjoy the cake last night? Oh, it was spectacular, wasn't it? Oh, and everyone else is like why the fuck are we just talking about food when someone's died? And the curtain this red curtain closes and it's almost like it envelops the entire family now with the grief that they're feeling from the death. So it's so fucking well done.
Speaker 3:It's like death is upon you now.
Speaker 1:And then boom, or maybe not death.
Speaker 3:but well, oliver well, oliver is death in a way because boom sister is dead, father is gone, and then I know how much time passed before the dad kills himself.
Speaker 1:It was like 14 years it's 2006 to 2022.
Speaker 3:14 years.
Speaker 1:Yes, that brings up a point where I'm like that was a very long plane.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because we don't get an explanation really for what happened to the father.
Speaker 3:Kills himself.
Speaker 1:He did.
Speaker 3:I'm pretty sure he killed himself yeah.
Speaker 1:Was it yeah?
Speaker 3:Because, as he died and then I'm surprised that he took him so long, so that they alluded to him committing suicide Well, probably because his two children- killed themselves.
Speaker 1:I guess my only complaint is we never get an explanation for what happened to Elspeth, to like for her to get sick. It just kind of comes out of nowhere, which works out great for Oliver.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I wonder if he did something.
Speaker 1:That's what I was thinking. Did he poison her or something while living with her, because he would have had access to a lot of things.
Speaker 3:So she had an issue with her lungs because she had, like, the air pump pumping in the air and then he blew the smoke into her face. So it probably that he oh he, full ripped out the thing, no, no yeah. But before that he blew all the smoke from the cigarette into her face. It's kind of like, and the smoke ruins your lungs. So it feels like he did something to her lungs to make her lungs messed up.
Speaker 1:I'm just surprised that they explained almost everything he did to a T but like that part they just kind of left open to interpretation.
Speaker 3:But they didn't explain that much, though. At the end they had like a little montage of like oh, I know this and that, from the moment I saw you, I did do your bike, kind of thing. But there's a lot of things that they didn't.
Speaker 1:It's like how he killed the sister yeah, he put the razor near the bathtub after he had that chat with her, so he didn't really have to do much, though After Felix dies it just creates. I mean, it's kind of similar to when we watched the Eye and Claw, in that one death just causes this domino effect because the family is so weak and full of vulnerable. All it takes is just one push and, like the whole family is knocked out and for them, being such a weak family that didn't really have a strong kind of foundation, it was so easy to take advantage of that and just cause one death and for it to spiral.
Speaker 1:Yeah because to us, the viewers, it's so obvious what's wrong with this family that they don't talk about a lot of things. They take advantage of people. They don't. Obviously, the daughter is like an alcoholic and smokes a lot. The son doesn't really give a fuck, he's got a party lifestyle. The cousin is just a fucking spoiled brat who's entitled and doesn't do shit. By the end of it you kind of feel like I don't know. This family is kind of useless in a way.
Speaker 3:Oh very.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Very useless.
Speaker 1:And maybe that's another thing that the film's trying to communicate about like the higher upper classes that Like they have all this money but they don't do anything worthwhile with it, they just fuck it all away. And from Oliver's point of view, maybe that's one of the driving forces behind him wanting salt burn is he feels that everyone there doesn't respect it or they take advantage of it.
Speaker 3:I don't know. Then he dances through house flopping his dick around. I don't think he respects that either.
Speaker 2:In the cover.
Speaker 3:I'm not saying it's logical, because this is a fucking psycho.
Speaker 1:I'm just saying in his point of view he could be looking at it like they don't deserve this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because they didn't work for it. He worked for it in a twisted way.
Speaker 3:Well, I don't know if his parents worked for it, but no, he worked to get the house.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Which he specifically said like I went to work Like. Fortunately, I know how to work.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:When he was talking to Elspeth, confessing the entire thing.
Speaker 2:That seemed to be a common thread in a lot of films in recent years. Have you ever seen Triangle of Sadness? Or like Glass Onion, even?
Speaker 1:Oh, Glass Onion. Yeah, I've seen that.
Speaker 2:They all have that like rich, hedonistic world and then, I guess, normal people coming into it and then exposing what their lives are like. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, there was an early scene in the movie where this teacher sees Oliver and Farley About to discuss like poetry essays or something like that, and he kind of looks the other way with Farley and is like, oh well, he's part of this great family so he doesn't have to do shit. And Oliver is like busting his ass. He's read all the essays and all the books and he knows everything. So that kind of starts the whole trend of what the movie is going for, where the middle class, they have to work extra hard to be recognized, where, whereas the Welfare is just based on who they know and they just get handed everything.
Speaker 3:Remember, like that teacher the same teacher you're talking about says like, oh yeah, oh, my God, I was with your mom, right, like, oh no, no, no, I was an admirer from afar. Probably eludes to a similar thing that happened Farley's mom, who was related to, like the sister to, felicia's dad. Felicia's dad was the one who had salt burn right Because his mom, rosamund Pike, was a model. So they were already rich, as I like it, because then it's like generational. Everybody was been always admiring them for their money and for their wealth.
Speaker 1:I thought it was really good too, because it made it clear that the teacher was not didn't know them. He was almost kind of like a weaker version of Oliver. He was just someone that admired and wanted to be like them but could never get close to them and break through the circle.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Favorite scene and you can't say the bathtub scene, as much as I know you want to, eddie.
Speaker 3:It is definitely the bathtub scene is definitely the one that had the most, had me the most like what that Fuck is going on.
Speaker 1:I wish I recorded your reaction. I got your reaction to the other parts in the movie yeah, which you'll definitely have to put into this at some point.
Speaker 3:Please do, please do send them through but favorite scene.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you mine. Why do you think? I really love the scene, as fucked up as it is. I love the scene when Oliver reveals his whole sinister plan. Because we don't know who is talking to the whole movie. We're relying on him as the narrator and the film does. This follows the I guess it's become a cliche of the unreliable narrator. So the idea that the narrator is telling you everything, so it must be the gospel truth. And then you find out no, it's just their perception, which is something that we've seen in movies, like the usual suspects. So you assume that this person can't be the bad guy, because they're the narrator and we're listening to them the whole time. And then it turns out they are. I love that. He reveals his whole story and we don't know who he's talking to. And then they just give this sudden cut where we see Rosamond Pike's face with the respirators all attached to her, and we realize that he's won pretty much.
Speaker 2:I like the period blood scene.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Actually, I feel like that one has a really shocking effect as well. I don't know, somehow I just really like the grossness of it. I don't know which one came first again. The bathtub first I like that scene and I also like the scene where he's talking to Fali Fali when he was like yeah, At the party. Yeah, yeah, oh, when Fali's saying I always come back.
Speaker 1:That is a powerful scene.
Speaker 2:It's part of that whole, like wealth, like upper class thing, no, no, no, she's talking about it on the couch, the couch when Talk about Henry I thought you were talking about the Midsummer Night's Dream Party when Fali surprises Oliver and Oliver's like what are you doing here?
Speaker 1:You can't be here, they're going to be mad. And he's like don't you get it? I always get to come back. And it was that moment where Fali's just kind of like saying like I always win Because I'm family and you'll never be that.
Speaker 2:I like that scene too. There's something satisfying about it, even though I'm not supposed to like him, but it's like it, just like he spoke the truth probably.
Speaker 1:Well, I think because Fali's been poking him a lot in the movie and claiming that he's nothing because of his class. So we actually start sympathizing for Oliver. We want him to kind of fuck over Fali because he's such a dick. Like the way he condescendingly criticizes him for having a rental tuxedo and stuff like that. It says that you're almost passing by as like a human boy because you're part of the elite and you almost look like one of us. That actor was really good at making me fucking hate him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and he's American accent upon all the Britishness Kind of did it too, I feel.
Speaker 1:But that's one of the reasons why he was almost like another outsider.
Speaker 3:He kind of was, he kind of wasn't outside. That Parasited himself into the family as well in a way, but he never he was a leech. He was a leech and Oliver was a parasite. A leech is kept on taking as much as he can until he got ripped out and a parasite walks in and just takes over. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And that was why the karaoke scene was really good when they were singing that song, Because the song lyrics were talking about like being, yeah, getting everything paid for you and looked after. And we saw Oliver be like offended at singing it put on show and then Oliver's like why don't you come sing too Farley, this is your song.
Speaker 2:That was pretty good.
Speaker 1:That was a great moment, so subtle.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And it's like no one else knows what's going on except them two. Great, great story.
Speaker 2:I feel like there's a lot of that kind of writing in this film. That's why I like it so much. It's got the subtle moments where it's not on the nose either.
Speaker 1:Except when, except for the bar folks. That's so subtle.
Speaker 2:It's literally on his nose.
Speaker 3:I gotta say, though, since the movie industry is making a comeback this year, like it started off with with Maestro we saw at the end of last year, then we saw Ironclaw this week and now we're seeing Saltburn.
Speaker 2:You said four things.
Speaker 3:It's like what good movies were there last year.
Speaker 2:Oh, Banshee's there's quite a few.
Speaker 3:There's quite a few good, but I feel like now it's like look, you have a lot of the Marvel movies that came out of last year. They made billions, they were just gigantic money-making machines, but nobody liked them. And now there's movies like these that are coming out, and I'm sure these ones did by far not make as much money, by far not as much revenue, because there's no fan base to present it to. But it's quality.
Speaker 1:Well, technically, saltburn would have an inbuilt fan base. Because, emerald Fennel, I have the fucking name, I'm sorry. You are a good director, I just am bad with names.
Speaker 3:Say it to her. Come on, say it to her.
Speaker 1:Emerald, as if she's gonna watch this.
Speaker 3:Anyway.
Speaker 1:Because this is her second film, a lot of people would have been intrigued Like, oh my god, it's the director and writer from Promising Young Woman, and that's why I wanted to watch this movie and also because I heard it was really fucked up.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's a small fan base that comes to see the movie for the director, but that's a smaller fan base than some people that follow the whole franchise.
Speaker 1:Marvel movies, exactly, but I mean even the Marvel. People are sick of Marvel.
Speaker 3:That's what I mean. Can I say I'm glad that that era is coming to an end, hopefully.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what's wrong with saying that?
Speaker 3:I want to still work, no, but I'm glad that you are.
Speaker 1:How dare you be glad that good movies are being made? I know alright.
Speaker 3:No, but I'm so glad. No, but I'm just so glad that the Marvel movies suck nowadays, because they just do they suck for a good while.
Speaker 1:People were still buying tickets. But now, like people have woken up and are like there's shit and I know there's shit now, like I look at the poster and I know that's gonna be a shit movie, I'm not gonna bother.
Speaker 3:Yeah, anyway. Yeah, that's my point. I'm glad that the movie industry is shifting towards in a good way. Now shifting back to like good original movies of actual stories and not just a remake of old comic books, and I hope that the musical phase is finishing soon as well.
Speaker 2:It looks like it's just beginning.
Speaker 3:Yeah, oh god, looks like it's beginning. And then all the biographies as well, like some of them are really good, it's just that. Maestro is a biographies too, maestro is really good, but it brought like I don't know.
Speaker 2:You mean like the Priscilla Alves kind of biographies?
Speaker 3:Yeah, Look, some of them are good, but I prefer to watch this still, because this is original.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, it's a proper story. It's a proper story, you're not locked in by the story of the celebrity.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because you have what's the name?
Speaker 2:Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse.
Speaker 3:Yeah, amy Winehouse is coming out. Yeah, bob Marley coming out. There's so many. I think there's a couple more.
Speaker 2:Yeah, priscilla, just came out the problem with Biopix?
Speaker 1:is you know how it's gonna end?
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:There's no like secret twists and turns. The only thing they can do is the way they present it. That's why people liked Elvis, because it was really like creative and it dived more into the story of him and his manager. But lots of people were still like, eh, we've kind of seen this before.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, it was still a good movie, elvis. But yeah, I mean, one Life was maybe we saw recently as well.
Speaker 2:One.
Speaker 3:Life. Yeah, I saw it in the movie.
Speaker 2:I liked it. It just doesn't yeah.
Speaker 3:It's such an amazing story and the real life story is so, so empowering. And then the movie was actually very disappointing. Have you seen One Life?
Speaker 1:One Life. Yeah, who's it about? I don't remember the name.
Speaker 2:This guy who helped a lot of Jewish people during the Second World War, is it yeah?
Speaker 3:He is British or American British. He went to check Now Austria, and just before the war started he shipped 669 Jewish children, the foster families in England, who are still alive today.
Speaker 2:I think the problem with that film, and also a lot of biography nowadays, is that they tried to, they did do amazing things and achieved great things, but it's just like there's this glorification that just felt like I don't know, like salt burn is fucked up. You can't, you can't, really you can't glorify yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, it's always gonna be from a perspective like an autobiography. Like, for example, elvis is always gonna have people from Elvis's family in charge of it and there's always gonna be certain things that they're gonna sugarcoat or they're gonna not really go over. Like they're not gonna go into detail about the fact that, like Elvis dated Priscilla when she was really freaking young and stuff like that and the overdose and the drugs, like they're gonna like brush those things and focus more on the good things. So it creates this thing where you don't get the most authentic biopic.
Speaker 3:That said actually iron claws, also biopic, exactly.
Speaker 1:And one of the things we said about iron claws is that it's too much, like you could tell it's a biopic, because it's. It's got to follow these beats of the biography and then by the time it's got to go back to being a movie. It kind of wraps everything up at the end in a nice little bow and is like, oh, that's the ending and we felt like it was really rushed.
Speaker 3:By the way, kevin wasn't happy with it. He wasn't.
Speaker 2:I thought he was who's Kevin.
Speaker 1:He's one of the guys.
Speaker 3:That guy from the character.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the wrestler. Oh okay, where did you?
Speaker 3:say that, no, he wasn't. No, sorry, maybe not with the whole movie, but he wasn't satisfied with it. And he wasn't happy with the way his dad was with Fritz, how he was portrayed.
Speaker 1:Because he was portrayed as a piece of shit.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but apparently I suppose, and he probably was, he probably was. But he said I don't know what I didn't read the whole thing, he just saw he wasn't happy with the way his dad was you know that.
Speaker 1:What was interesting is that Fritz, his character, his persona as a wrestler was like a Nazi simplifier yeah oh, you looked that off.
Speaker 3:Yeah, of course, that's why he kept the name von Erika and didn't go with the other name.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and Fritz sounds very German. Yeah, bringing it back to Saltburn. What didn't work? What do we think could have been done better? Improved upon.
Speaker 3:I would say, upon a first view, not knowing anything it's about. I'm still quite confused. Even though we're talking about it, there's still a lot of elements in it that I'm still not understanding why, for example, the bathtub scene I still like. I like it, but besides the shocking value of it, I don't know what the point of that scene is. Yet Him shagging the grave. I love the two minute long shot of him just shagging the grave real weird. But why is he crying and making love to that corpse or the dirt above the corpse? Like? I don't understand why that scene is there and what it means. Yet so, upon one.
Speaker 1:I love the fact that you said making love rather than just banging. He's banging like you could tell he was. He was being really like romantic.
Speaker 3:He was. So they see the hip movement. It was, it was, it was thought that no.
Speaker 2:But he was imagining himself Been there done that.
Speaker 3:No, so upon one view, we're not knowing anything. What's about prior to it? I'm still confused with a lot of scenes to is why they're there and yeah, so I really want to see it again, see if that makes sense, but doesn't make sense. To talk to you guys, she still don't quite know why.
Speaker 1:I felt like my interpretation of the bathtub scene was like swan energy drink, yes, energy drink. I drink your milkshake Like in numb. There will be blood, there will be coming, there will be semen.
Speaker 2:Oh my god.
Speaker 1:The grave scene. I think it's just like maybe it's just show, like visually show this inner conflict of he actually did love Felix, but he knew that he had to murder him for him to get what he really wanted. Maybe there was an element of sadness in that he really did love him because he put in a lot of effort to become what he felt Felix wanted him to be one of these little charity cases that he could save.
Speaker 2:Think of a toxic relationship. You love the person but you still feel all the pain and I feel like the grave scene is him releasing all of that, the love and the pain because this does bring up something right.
Speaker 1:If not for Felix looking up the parents, would all of us have had to kill Felix for his ultimate plan? Because that, through a spanner in the works Felix took him to see his parents, realized that he's a fucking liar, that the whole things are ruse, and then said you're out Like after the party, you're done. And that's what kind of drives Oliver to then be like oh fuck, I'm just gonna kill him Because he tried to reason with him and be like I'm just trying to be what you want me to be.
Speaker 3:I think it made him hurry to plan up a little bit. I think it made him, it pushed him to change the timeline a bit, and just okay, cool. I need to take action now.
Speaker 1:It also showed that he underestimated Felix as a friend, because Felix's compassion caused him to be like oh, I'm gonna contact your mom, bring you together with your family, because that's what's right. And he underestimated his compassion.
Speaker 3:Any thing that you thought that didn't work.
Speaker 2:I thought everything kind of worked for me and I always liked the kind of film that makes me not understand fully. So I kind of make up my own interpretation Because at least I'm thinking and I'm immersed in a film. So I feel like to be honest, even though there are some things that I still don't get it, I still think it kind of worked for me personally.
Speaker 1:But it's not one of those movies where you know, when people talk about it and people are very divided and they're like, oh, you just don't get it.
Speaker 2:I don't get that vibe.
Speaker 1:This isn't like fucking Barbie, where everyone's like you just don't get it. It's okay to learn and watch the movie and be like, oh, there's something new there to grab onto. There's a lot more to this movie than I thought and there's lots of symbolism and metaphors and stuff like that Hidden meanings. And even after the first watch, even if I didn't fully understand it, I still really enjoyed it.
Speaker 3:So one out of five.
Speaker 1:I'd give it a four and a half out of five. Only thing that stops me is I just feel like it didn't have to go as fucked up as it did. I like the ending, Even though I feel like when I first watched it I thought he was going to dance around naked and they were going to do an Austin Powers thing where they always hide the dick. It was swinging in full glory, you reckon it was a fake dick because that was a massive dick, that was big.
Speaker 3:I think it must have been fake.
Speaker 1:I was saying to AJ? I think it was because, like they I reckon the directors they were in a boardroom meeting and they were like we need this dick to be big to show how fucking much of a piece of shitty is, that he would just have his dick flopping around and stuff like carelessly, whereas if it was a small dick Because he's a guy with a big dick pulling- that off. Yeah, he had big dick energy in that.
Speaker 3:Big dick energy yeah.
Speaker 1:That would have been a hilarious experience. Imagine the actor just having to choose a lineup of fake dicks to wear.
Speaker 3:Can you please put each one of these on and we're going to judge which one suits you best.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And it was just like a big, massive, like 16 inch one, and and we have to look it up for these actual fake dicks and Barry's just like this is the dick I want, and they were like no, it doesn't work. Big black and 16 inch.
Speaker 1:Fuck it out. Hey Joe, what did you think?
Speaker 2:about the dick Five stars.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just give us a writing on the dick.
Speaker 2:I didn't realize it was that big. I don't know. It totally went over my head. I was just like watching it. I don't know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, did you think the dick needed to be seen though? Like, is that a necessary shock value, or does it just kind of become part of this coherent, shocking movie where it made sense?
Speaker 2:I think after everything we've seen, it doesn't make sense that the dick is there Well.
Speaker 1:I guess it's kind of like saying he has no shame at all in that he got everything he wanted in the most violent, despicable way.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because there was also the motorbike standing inside. You see it.
Speaker 1:What was?
Speaker 3:In the first shot, where you see him naked Before you see the dick, you just see him from behind. It was like a motorcycle in the big hole. There was not there before.
Speaker 1:And he also had the cocaine.
Speaker 3:And he also had a cocaine. Yeah, it was standing behind cocaine.
Speaker 2:And I also like how, like when they're in the field, the thistle field, they had that moment would be like oh, I didn't expect that Good for you. And then they reveal at the end yeah, so you actually get to see it.
Speaker 1:Did you notice there was a photo? I'm pretty sure. Might have to double check, but I think when he did sniff the cocaine at the end I think there was a photo frame of him and Felix next to the cocaine. I didn't notice we're going to get the final ratings, so I had four and a half Love it. I think it's a bit too shocking at times, but yeah.
Speaker 2:I think I give it four and a half too. I don't really like the part how like he kind of ends up getting the whole thing and how he murdered everyone. I like it, but I don't. I don't know there's something there, let me think about it. But I feel like I give it a 4.5 because I really enjoyed it.
Speaker 1:What don't you like about the idea of him essentially murdering everyone?
Speaker 2:It just felt a little bit too cliche compared to all the other things in the movie.
Speaker 3:I agree. But the thing I really liked about the movie is that the one thing I didn't like is that he did kill one person, which was Felix. He killed Felix For us. He didn't kill anybody, he got everyone to kill themselves. That's the psychological thrill a bit that I really like, because it didn't involve any violence. It didn't involve, but yeah, it's just. I think it's because he had to change. He would have gotten Felix kill himself eventually if Felix didn't push for his parents. That's why he had to push it.
Speaker 1:So through a spanner in the works, and that's why that one part of his plane isn't as tight as the rest of the plane, even though when did he get the poison from?
Speaker 3:I don't really explain that, no, but if you think about it, if it did throw a spanner in the works, he would have gotten the poison from somewhere, because that must have been Ryzen, that poison that you can't detect in the body. Oh, interesting, and that's not somewhere you can get. That's not something you can get somewhere, so he must have had that already. Maybe that's why he was so shocked when the waitress the servants unpacked his suitcase.
Speaker 1:Oh, interesting, yeah, but if that's the case, wouldn't they have said something though?
Speaker 3:Maybe they didn't find it, maybe he hid it very well.
Speaker 1:Interesting Because he hasn't left some. Soap on. Yeah, uh-huh, see, we're still talking about it. Still talking about it. Very well done maybe.
Speaker 3:Well, and because of that I'm going to give it the five stars. Oh nice, just because I was going to give it the four and a half. But now I don't think that's like oh shit, so many little things that they didn't include in the montage at the end that we now are still discovering. It's like oh shit, that moment that he had that the lucky that they didn't find it. Perhaps, maybe I'm completely wrong, but I'm just going to say it's that way that I'm going to give it the five stars Because, like I said, I'm still confused by a lot of the things that happened, but I am 100% sure that everything has a meaning.
Speaker 3:We just don't know what the meaning is yet, and it keeps you talking, it keeps you thinking, it keeps you going over and over and over and over again.
Speaker 2:Makes you want to watch again.
Speaker 3:It makes. Yeah, I want to watch it again. I thought it was really good. The shock values are so clean. The good. The psychological manipulation is very clean, it's clear, it's understandable. Every character is very, very well developed and the casting is just magnificent. So I don't see a fold in the movie. So I would give it the five out of five stars.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's pretty much it. That's the show, guys. All right, great. Well, we're going to wrap it up there. If you enjoyed today's show, please leave us a like, share and subscribe to the YouTube channel. You can also listen to the full podcast at Spotify and Apple Podcasts For today. That is it, guys.