Released at the end of December on Amazon Prime, the film “Saltburn” has been dividing viewers ever since. Emerald Fennell’s feature film, which tells the obsessive, Machiavellian story of two young boys deep in the English countryside, is on everyone’s lips, and at the heart of much debate. While some cried scandal, others hailed the film’s subtlety. And let’s face it: Saltburn is not short of adjectives! Provocative, mysterious, disturbing, addictive… Amazon Prime’s new opus has everything it takes to make an impression. But it’s the incredible performance of Irish actor Barry Keoghan that really takes the film to a whole new level… An actor of great stature, rather unknown, but who is making a real name for himself on the international scene.
Jacob Elordi, Barry Keoghan, Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan. From the outset, Saltburn looks like a film with a prestigious and worthy cast.
The plot is certainly intriguing. It tells the story of Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), a shy, borrowed working-class student who struggles to fit in at Oxford University.
Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi in Saltburn
He soon takes notice of the darkly popular Felix Catton, a student from the wealthy English aristocracy, to whom everything seems to work out.
Their unlikely meeting will change everything for Oliver. A friendship soon develops, and this Oliver is invited by Felix to spend the summer at Saltburn, his family’s over-the-top castle.
As the days go by, the relationship between the two young men turns into an obsession for Oliver… creating an increasingly heavy and unhealthy atmosphere… until a rather unexpected denouement.
If Saltburn disturbs as well as fascinates, it’s mainly thanks to Barry Keoghan’s impeccable performance, which carries the plot from start to finish. Everything hinges on the character of Oliver, an initially endearing boy who gradually reveals his darker side as the film progresses.
Clumsy, discreet, with an elusive, penetrating blue gaze, he’s a character of great subtlety. From the very first minutes, viewers are torn between curiosity, sympathy and disgust. This feeling is intensified throughout the film by trashy, provocative scenes in which we discover a Barry Keoghan who’s not afraid to indulge in every possible practice to express his obsession (the bathtub and grave scenes are the most striking).
Barry Keoghan delivers a disturbing performance in Salburn
In any case, this performance revealed a very talented Irish actor. Already noted for his role in”The Banshees of Inisherin”, Saltburn sounds like a real consecration for Barry Keoghan.
This Irishman, well known in Ireland, is now forging an international career for himself. His ability to embody complex characters, coupled with his atypical good looks, make him an actor to keep a close eye on for the next few years.
There’s no doubt that Barry Keoghan is set to take on one major film project after another!
In the meantime, take a look at Saltburn! You won’t escape completely unscathed!
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