Scottish debut 'Salvation' follows dishwasher turned life coach in Greenock
A Greenock dishwasher walks out of a training retreat convinced he can fix other people's lives. That is the starting point for Salvation, the debut feature from Scottish writer-director Tom Nicoll, as described by Variety.
Liam Harkins plays Danny Carlton, an aspiring life coach at the centre of the film. Nicoll wrote and directed the project. It is his first feature.
Danny works as a dishwasher. He decides to become a professional life coach after being inspired by a self-confidence guru, according to Variety. The story picks up when he returns home to Greenock after the retreat, ready to practise what he has learned.
Home is not simple. Kevin O'Loughlin plays Marshall Allison, a self-styled life coach with his own following. Stephen McMillan plays Scott, part of Danny's circle back in town. Kathleen McDermott and Conor McCarron also star, according to The Playlist.
The film looks closely at life coaching and male influencer culture. It follows the young men drawn into its orbit. That focus gives the story its wider frame, beyond one man's plan to reinvent himself.
Behind the camera, Alex Grigoras served as director of photography, the person in charge of camera and lighting. Salvation was shot using Academy ratio, the almost-square frame used in early cinema. The shape boxes the characters in. It keeps Greenock streets, kitchens and meeting rooms tight around them.
What makes this stand out on the calendar is the scale. One first-time director. A small-town setting. A subject pulled straight from phone screens and self-help seminars.
