– Peter Glanz’s second feature is a wild and hilarious satire on greed and status, with Richard E Grant delivering a towering performance in a tale of excess and ambition
Claire Foy and Richard E Grant in Savage House
World-premiering at SXSW London and also arriving in UK cinemas as of 5 June (courtesy of Paramount Pictures), Savage House is US writer-director Peter Glanz’s unhinged brainchild. Amid the upheaval of 18th-century England, a rampant pox outbreak and the Jacobite uprising, Sir Chauncey Savage (Richard E Grant) and Lady Savage (Claire Foy) are single-mindedly pursuing wealth and status. With the promise that they’re going to receive a visit from the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, they decide to spend everything they have in order to show off their importance. What could possibly go wrong?
Savage House is a hilarious showcase of the most repellent decisions. The film functions as a political satire, exploring the insatiable desire for wealth among the elite, whose members constantly seek to outdo one another through increasingly pointless acts of greed. Through opulent production design (Gary Williamson) and visceral portrayals of excess, Glanz draws a clear connection between physical and moral decadence, reinforcing the corruption suggested by the Savage family’s very name. The editing, handled by the writer-director himself, is possibly the film’s most striking element. With the wrong choices, the pace and structure of the movie would definitely have suffered, but thanks to just the right cuts, the sense of anxiety grows and grows over its running time.
The feature is a good example of a story that is quite simple and, in a way, even predictable in its trajectory, as we know that the greed of these characters is unlikely to lead to anything good. At the same time, the plot twists work remarkably well, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats, and maintaining the perfect balance between the foreseeable and the unpredictable.
While the entire cast delivers excellent performances, Richard E Grant is the undeniable showstopper. His mannerisms, the way he speaks and the way he carries himself give the character a wonderful energy. He is imposing in his portrayal of a greedy and eccentric Sir Chauncey Savage, who is despicable yet somewhat loveable. The crucial aspect is that, even though we’re not supposed to side with the Savages, because of how inherently bad they are, we cannot avoid feeling sympathy for them and identifying with them. Indeed, our society is extremely selfish and sees profit as the highest possible achievement, so how can we afford to be that judgemental?
All in all, Savage House is a highly entertaining film that will work for both engaged audiences and more casual viewers. Its strong central performances, combined with a remarkable attention to detail, make for a well-rounded result. While its core themes are not particularly original, the movie finds a way to keep its audience enthralled through effective storytelling and ultimately succeeds as a compelling moral tale, proving that greed is never the answer.
Savage House is a UK production staged by Record Player Films, Deluge Pictures and Moon7, in association with Paramount Pictures, which is also in charge of its international sales.
