Movie Reviews for Brideshead Revisited

Brideshead Revisited

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Movie Reviews of Brideshead Revisited

Movie Review: Entrancing
Summary: 5 Stars

I vaguely recall seeing snippets of the television series of "Brideshead Revisited" a number of years ago. I never really liked it. I have also never read the book by Evelyn Waugh. I was thus less than enthusiastic in going to see this film. Regardless, to my great surprise, I found the film to be totally enthralling.

Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode) travels from London to Oxford where is enrolled to study history. He immediately comes within the orbit of Sebastian Flight (Ben Whishaw), a very gay dilettante. Although Ryder gives no real clue to being gay, he enjoys the company of Flight. They become close friends. As part of this process, Ryder goes with Flight to the vast family estate, Brideshead, where he meets the very Catholic Flight family. Ryder is an atheist but comes to be more intrigued than repelled by the obsessive faith of the Flights. I might add that I could empathise with Ryder to some degree as I am an atheist too and have married into a family of Catholic fellow travellers that includes a priest!

As time passes, Ryder becomes entranced by Sebastian's sister, Julia. However, she carries religious baggage that prevents her from becoming involved with Ryder. They meet I later life but, again, faith intervenes to hinder matters. Faith can be a hard master.

This is a wonderful film. The acting is beautiful with all the main characters being thoroughly plausible as members of that condescending English ruling class. The settings too are marvellous as we are drawn across London, Oxford, Venice and Morocco. I can thus recommend this film unconditionally.

Movie Review: wonderful film
Summary: 5 Stars

Brideshead Revisited is a lovely film filled with characters you will remember all of your life!!! I particularly enjoyed Ben Whislaw's depiction of Sebastian with his kind sad eyes!! Sebastian will remind you of your own first love and the longing and hurt that often entails!!! He loves Charles, but Charles does not love him in the way he wants him to, You can take that love relationship and apply it to any lost love that you have experienced. Emma Thompson is a steely Lady Marchmain with her beautiful blue eyes!!! Ultimately, it is a film about lost love and faith and how both dynamics can impact our lives!!! I enjoyed it immensely and I bought the soundtrack as well!!! That is great too!!! A must see and hear in my book!!!

Movie Review: Brilliant!
Summary: 5 Stars

beautifully done! the inevitable comparisons with the book and the miniseries may prevent you from experiencing this film on its own terms. i loved the miniseries, but i think that's irrelevant. also, screen adaptations are almost always different from the books they're based on, because of the dramatic requirements of the medium. nevertheless, i think this film retains the essential spirit of the book. the "Catholic thing", entwined with Lady Marchmain's misguided severity, doesn't seem to recommend itself very well; but the film's ending provides a twist (which you may perceive differently if you're not inside the "thing").

Movie Review: Sumptuous film of Catholic angst
Summary: 5 Stars

I thought this was a beautiful film, with exquisite location photography in Venice, Morrocco, Oxford and the stupendous Castle Howard in England. The acting is top notch with Emma Thompson outstanding as the family matriarch whose severe religious adherence negatively affects the lives of her children. Michael Gambon, in the small role of Lord Marchmain, is masterful. The lead actors, none of them I'm familiar with, are also quite excellent. I have not seen the original PBS series or read the book, but I found this adaptation to be an entertaining rendition of a bygone era.