Claire Foy and Richard E Grant deliver standout performances in Peter Glanz's raucous 18th-century period piece, Savage House. The film, set in a crumbling country estate, follows the status-obsessed Sir Chauncey and Lady Savage as they navigate social climbing and marital infidelity.
Glanz's direction offers candlelit interiors reminiscent of a knockoff Barry Lyndon and orchestral stabs evoking Amadeus, but the film is largely one-note and unidirectional. However, Foy and Grant sell it hard, bringing vim and vigour to their roles as a parvenu and his wife, who married for money and status.
The plot kicks into gear when the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire invite themselves to dinner, prompting the Savages to borrow ruinously to impress their guests. The ensuing calamity is predictable but watchable, thanks to the leads' class acts and a few nice lines.
Supporting performances from Jack Farthing, Bel Powley, Richard McCabe, and Vicki Pepperdine add texture, but it's Foy and Grant who make this bewigged caper worth a look.
