I Capture the Castle
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Movie Reviews of I Capture the Castle
Movie Review: "It all feels fractured": Yes it does in I CAPTURE THE CASTLE
Summary: 3 Stars
I first saw this film in the arthouses in 2000 and felt that something was definitely not all together about this story.I remembered it and revisited it after purchasing it on DVD this morning.I still feel the same way.As the main character,Cassandra (a wonderful Romola Garai (AMAZING GRACE and VANITY FAIR) writes in her journal,"It all feels fractured".It does.
As much as I want to like this film more, the screenplay by Heidi Thomas, whose main claim to fame is television writing,just simply seems so disconnected and lacking in a single purpose and focus.If the film is supposedly Cassandra's story,there then is much missing from the Dodie Smith book to make the story and the characters come alive on screen.
The acting from Romola Garai,Rose Byrne as her sister Rose,Bill Nighy as their writer-blocked father, and Tara Fitzgerald,especially, as Topaz, the odd stepmother, are all uniformly excellent.Henry Thomas and Marc Blucas appear quite awkward in their roles as the American brothers who have come to England as inheritors.Thomas seems particularly miscast and unsuited for this role.
Dario Marianelli,Oscar nominated for his later soundtrack PRIDE AND PREJUDICE does another admirable job at composing a lovely and lyrical score.
But, this film simply falls flat, and much is left to your imagination.
DVD extras contain an interview with Romola Garai which reveals no new insight into the film for me.The deleted scenes are miniscule and could have very easily remained.I thought the alternate ending was a better choice that was not chosen.See what I mean?
Not a recommended purchase for the price on DVD.VHS is cheaper for this film.
Movie Review: Odd mixture of revisionist film-making...for those who read the book first
Summary: 3 Stars
For those who enjoyed the book first, this film seems strangely wrong.
The filmmakers are too greatly influenced by a combination of the
Merchant-Ivory films, all those wonderful Masterpiece Theatre/BBC
historical British dramas and a sort-of light, airy type of film-making
that's completely out-of-place for this story.
This family is living on very hard times and I don't think that's shown
properly. In the book, Topaz is a much stranger character (in the book,
she reminds me of a blonde version of perhaps, Morticia Addams(!) and
Mortmain should not just be moody. In the book, he's much more
odd...and interesting.
I guess they got Rose and Cassandra right, but there's none of the
poverty and hopelessness that's so clearly drawn in the book.
Movie Review: different than the book, but still okay
Summary: 3 Stars
I was prepared to be very disappointed by this movie, as I've loved the book for years. But the film version actually made me think about the serious aspects of the plot - aspects that are under-emphasized in the book due to the narrator's dry British wit. The film focuses almost exclusively on the melodramatic, but it made me realize that the events of the book really are quite serious: the family is nearly starving, the father did serve in prison for pulling a knife on the mother, and Rose's fiance kisses her sister, who then falls in love with him. The film made me think about the deeper story of the Mortmain family, behind Cassandra's humorous narrative. If you've read the book and loved it, don't worry that the film will ruin it for you.Movie Review: Okey Coming-of-Age Film
Summary: 3 Stars
I was disappointed by this film because I had been led to believe (from reviews) that it was "hilarious", "enchanting", etc. I am a fan of English movies, period pieces and such but this story did not enchant me. I had not read the book and perhaps that was a drawback--or not. At any rate, I found it somewhat confusing (although most of my questions were eventually answered) and ultimately I lost interest in all the quirkiness, unrequited love, and seediness. I do think that the cast did a professional job but with the exception of the actress playing Cassandra, I saw no real sparkle.Movie Review: 1930's England as You Rarely See It
Summary: 3 Stars
I purchased this DVD after fully enjoying reading the quirky book (written by Dodie Smith, author of 1001 Dalmations) along with my book club. The characters from the book come vividly alive in the DVD and the story remains, for the most part, true to the book. Be aware there are two scenes with nudity, as Topaz, the eccentric step-mother is a 'naturalist'. The book was a bit more enjoyable, but I do have this movie in my collection and we pull it off the shelf fairly often.