I Capture the Castle
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Movie Reviews of I Capture the Castle
Movie Review: I lost a bet but liked the movie.
Summary: 3 Stars
I saw this movie because I lost a bet with my wife. We bet on who would be the first to yell at the kids an I lost, so my wife got to choose a "chick flick" and I was obligated to watch and actually pay attention.
So, she chose this movie, and between the beautiful scenery (the castle was cool!) and the very competent acting I can say I actually enjoyed this movie. Oh yeah, and the ending was not what I expected. Not bad for a "chick flick".
Movie Review: Was just okay
Summary: 3 Stars
This movie was not the best of its genre - coming of age story. It also failed as either a good comedy or good romance film. The plot involved missed romances, but was not satisfying at the end. I think stories of A loves X, X loves Y, Y loves Z, Z does not love Y is a formula that has been used before.
The most sympathetic character for me was Stephen, who was ultimately left out in the cold.
Movie Review: A More Modern Jane Austen
Summary: 3 Stars
This was a lot like Emma and Pride and Prejudice rolled into one. It was a bit plodding and too long.Movie Review: Yawn
Summary: 2 Stars
My main dispute with this Cinderella romance between young sisters and the conveniently available rich bachelor's from far away America -- it's rated R. Why did the director feel it necessary to tell what is essentially a chocolate-chomping girl's heartbreak with nudity and graphic groping? Teens love their romance, boy-girl breakups, and crush's. This media world of overt-sexuality and easy porn - come on --- let the kids have their childhood.
Oh, how many young sis' have coveted their older sister's boyfriends. All of them! And that sexual awakening thing is happening at breakneck speed, but in 60 percent of American girls - the actual event begins with marriage. In this film marriage is not portrayed as something folks do for love: the sisters want to marry up at any cost. Is that a good lesson for teen gals?
Perhaps I'm not being fair on the philosophical side, but how about a believable story we can care about? You won't find it in I Capture the Castle. You'll instead discover your first yawn developing about ten minutes into the production as the eccentric wife does her nude scene, the eccentric writer does his prison scene, the girls do their not enough to eat in this romantic castle scene, and suddenly the guys show up like Price Charmings out of nowhere like we haven't seen that one before. I'm sorry. I think I'll take a nap.
Movie Review: Why did they ditch half of the book's humor?
Summary: 2 Stars
I Capture the Castle is one of my favorite books and I was predisposed to love the film, but it came up short. The movie remains true to the book's plot, but adopted a seriocomic tone that was too heavy on the serious. The charm of the book lies in the wit of the narrator, Cassandra, even when she writes about her family's poverty, her father's temper, etc. It's all told from a comic slant that contrasts with the subject matter nicely. The movie lost that slant and wallowed in melodrama too often. For instance, the eccentric, selfish, but extremely charming, father becomes simply dysfunctional in the film, stripped of his charisma.
The biggest flaw of the film is that the director, instead of standing in the narrator's 1930-ish shoes, imposes a modern context on the subject, which transformed it into a run-of-the-mill drama, and strips out most of the book's wittiness. The movie even adds a ridiculous touchy-feely reconciliation scene between the father and Cassandra at the end that would have made Dodie Smith puke.
Sigh . . . Maybe someone who's more deft with period pieces will try a lighter hand with this material and get it right in the future.