Saltburn

i started this last night and i had to pause at the scene wherein his lies are unearthed or whatever because it is such a painfully hard thing to watch. i resumed it this morning and had to mute it. this is probably the most emotion and reaction the film was able to get out of me--pure embarrassment. too bad this isn't something the film crafted on it's own--it's just the talented mr ripley. this is exactly what happens in the talented mr ripley, and i feel the exact same embarrassment. this film is substantially entertaining visually, and it is enough to keep me engaged throughout the runtime. (is good cinematography pretty privilege? call back to find out.) that and the cast is fantastic, rosamund pike especially. my thing, however, is that there is not a single theme behind any of the interesting visuals. the script is beyond weak in its themes and structure and is carried by the execution of the cinematography and the cast's commitment to a good performance. my solution is this: keep madam fennell out of the writer's room and chained up behind the camera. she has strong potential as an interesting director--i love the aesthetic she crafts and the images she chooses to frame. i just wish she had something to say about it, and it appears she doesn't.