Countless English protagonists have for decades been making their way to grand country estates where their lives are irrevocably changed. 害羞草研究所淏rideshead Revisited.害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭he Go-Between.害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淩emains of the Day.害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淩ebecca.害羞草研究所�
These are some of the books that Emerald Fennell grew up devouring. And when the dust had settled on her incendiary Oscar-winning directorial debut, Fennell, too, wanted to make her way to a fictional stately manor.
害羞草研究所淚 really wanted to make a movie that was a take on the classic English gothic story,害羞草研究所� Fennell says. 害羞草研究所淚t felt like an incredibly well-worn and therefore intriguing genre to start looking at and applying pressure to.害羞草研究所�
In which opens in theaters Nov. 24, Fennell applies her particular and potent brand of pressure to the one of the longest standing British genres. And given of her provocative debut, it害羞草研究所檚 safe to say that things get quite a bit bumpier at Saltburn than they ever did at Downton Abbey.
Fennell has already been a memorable part of one conversation-starting film this year. That was her as Midge, the pregnant doll, in (Fennell, alas, said she couldn害羞草研究所檛 comment on her role in 害羞草研究所淏arbie害羞草研究所� due to the .)
Like that film, 害羞草研究所沦补濒迟产耻谤苍,害羞草研究所� which Fennell wrote and directs, includes Margot Robbie as a producer. It stars Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick, an Oxford University freshman on a scholarship who害羞草研究所檚 drawn to a dashing, aristocratic classmate named Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi). Their relationship has strong echoes of 害羞草研究所淭he Talented Mr. Ripley害羞草研究所� to it.
In the summer of 2006, Felix invites Oliver to his family害羞草研究所檚 estate where he fits in sometimes awkwardly and sometimes smoothly but increasingly eerily with the extravagant flow of life. Things get steamy, weird and dark as Fennell toys with class as she did with gender in 害羞草研究所淧romising Young Woman.害羞草研究所�
Several in the cast give standout performances 害羞草研究所� especially Rosamund Pike, who plays Felix害羞草研究所檚 mother. But it害羞草研究所檚 also a rare leading performance for Keoghan, himself coming off Already some of his scenes 害羞草研究所� one involving some leftover bathtub water, one a fresh grave 害羞草研究所� have added to the early buzz around 害羞草研究所淪altburn.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 saw Barry in 害羞草研究所楰illing of a Sacred Deer害羞草研究所� and I just couldn害羞草研究所檛 believe it,害羞草研究所� Fennell said in a recent interview from London. 害羞草研究所淭hat performance was so amazing. It害羞草研究所檚 a kind of once-in-a-lifetime arresting performance. I just thought immediately: Who is that?害羞草研究所�
The opportunities were many for Fennell after the success of 害羞草研究所淧romising Young Woman.害羞草研究所� The film, a blackly comic feminist revenge thriller starring Carey Mulligan, was one of the most talked about movies of 2020. In that first pandemic year, it went on to be nominated for five Oscars including best picture and best director. Fennell won for her script.
害羞草研究所淣one of us had anticipated how amazing the response would be,害羞草研究所� Fennell says. 害羞草研究所淏ecause of COVID, I was in a bubble with my young family. So it maybe didn害羞草研究所檛 feel as surreal as it might. I mean, everything was surreal, so it kind of felt like another surreal thing.害羞草研究所�
Once the pandemic subsided, Fennell害羞草研究所檚 focus turned to 害羞草研究所沦补濒迟产耻谤苍,害羞草研究所� a film that seemingly could have pulled from her own experiences. Fennell, who attended the elite boarding school Marlborough College and studied at Oxford, is the daughter of jewelry designer and socialite Theo Fennell and author Louise Fennell.
Fennell, though, is reluctant to draw any connections between the high society of her youth and 害羞草研究所淪altburn.害羞草研究所� Yes, the 37-year-old grants, she attended Oxford around the same time as the characters in the film.
害羞草研究所淏ut I害羞草研究所檓 afraid the similarities end there,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚t definitely wasn害羞草研究所檛 quite as sexy.害羞草研究所�
Did she consider herself an outsider like Oliver or more of an insider like Felix?
害羞草研究所淚 was kind of like Oliver, mostly outside of it but occasionally having seen it as well,害羞草研究所� Fennell says. 害羞草研究所淭he fascinating thing about these sorts of systems in general, both in America and in England, is that nobody ever really knows whether they害羞草研究所檙e in or out.害羞草研究所�
To her, 害羞草研究所淪altburn害羞草研究所� is more about those anxious undercurrents among family, friends and hangers-on, each playing by unspoken codes of money, class and privilege.
害羞草研究所淭here was a world where 害羞草研究所楽altburn害羞草研究所� might have been set in the Hamptons,害羞草研究所� Fennell says. 害羞草研究所淚f you害羞草研究所檙e allowed in these places, it害羞草研究所檚 never a one-way ticket. Honestly, it could be set anywhere. It could be set in Los Angeles and the court, rather than being a stately home, is a compound of an incredibly famous actor and actress. It all works the same way. It害羞草研究所檚 power. Who wants it and who害羞草研究所檚 got it.害羞草研究所�
Fennell, who was the showrunner and an executive producer for the second season of 害羞草研究所淜illing Eve,害羞草研究所� often used the phrase 害羞草研究所減oison popcorn movie害羞草研究所� to describe 害羞草研究所淧romising Young Woman害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� an entertainment laced with more disturbing issues to contemplate.
She remains committed to eliciting that kind of dual response 害羞草研究所� something that people are eager to watch and just as eager debate after on their way home. Her current favorite film, which she says she害羞草研究所檚 seen 20 times, is 害羞草研究所淚 think it害羞草研究所檚 truly the greatest film of the last 10 years and I害羞草研究所檓 obsessed with it,害羞草研究所� Fennell says.
It would be giving too much away to describe how 害羞草研究所淪altburn害羞草研究所� unspools. But to Fennell, it害羞草研究所檚 ultimately about the deep longing and ambition of Oliver, a young man yearning to live. It害羞草研究所檚 a love story, she says.
害羞草研究所淭his movie feels to me like the closest thing to wanting something,害羞草研究所� says Fennell. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a particular type of need and want that you feel at a certain point in your life when it害羞草研究所檚 the first time you felt it, whether it害羞草研究所檚 about a person or a place. The intensity of the desire to make yourself. That, to me, is what the film is about.害羞草研究所�
