I Capture the Castle (2003)

I was enchanted by the cinematography, the actors and story. This is the way a movie should be made, with heart, humor and depth. A washed up and blocked writer for a father, an off the wall artistic step mother, a beautiful but pragmatic older sister and brainy little brother land in a picturesque but run down castle and scratch out a living while waiting for father's next great novel. Told from the point of view of a young girl coming of age, we see choices of survival, love and blunders of youth. From the very start of the movie I felt swept away by the story and acting. I wanted the story to go on........ 10 stars

Fmovies: An eccentric and well-born English family in the 1930's tries to cope with genteel poverty, while the two stunning teenage daughters of the family experiment with passion and romance.

Main thing you need to know: Romola Garai is not only lovely, she's an acting genius. Her fresh, innocent blond beauty rivets your attention, and she hits the right note in every scene -- curious, defiant, tender, lonely, confused, caring. She not only hits the right note, she often hits two or three right notes at once. Watch her animated facial expressions and you'll see she always gives you more than one emotion

The problem with this movie is that it tries to be too many things. One minute it's a sexy teen romance, like DIRTY DANCING (which also starred Romola Garai.) Then it's cerebral satire of long-forgotten intellectual types, like COLD COMFORT FARM. Then it's some kind of Masterpiece Theater type thing about newly rich Americans in England, and what fools they are for European elegance. Derivative themes and a thin plot with too many familiar stereotypes.

There are too many supporting characters, and aside from the luminous Romola Garai none of them are especially sympathetic. Marc Blucas was pretty good in JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB. Here he shows more muscle-power than talent. Henry Thomas is getting too old to be playing boyish and innocent. Bill Nighy as the eccentric dad has some authentic moments, but was a better patriarch in UNDERWORLD. ("Lycans, daughter. The lycans took my talent. Lucan and his kind . . spoiled my taste for f-f-f-fiction!")

There is one extremely interesting sub-plot about a local village lad the heroine thinks of as a friend, who worships her and is rejected. In an unexpected twist, a wealthy older woman seduces him and takes him to London, where he becomes a successful actor/model. The film handles this in a sensitive way, neither pitying the young man nor condemning him for giving in to his wealthy female protector. Unfortunately, this most interesting sub plot is only given a few minutes of screen time.

Summing up, then, this movie is something you must see only if you are a fan of the phenomenally talented Romola Garai. Other than that, it's really a hit or miss movie, and some parts are very thin.

I was thrilled when I learned this book was being turned into a movie, but was dismayed at the casting of the American brothers. Could they have chosen two more boring actors? I doubt it. At least Henry Thomas can act, but he's much, much too wimpy and lightweight for the romantic Simon (I weep for the wasted opportunity that would have been Paul Rudd in this role) and Marc Blucas is a big, big zero here. He's a terrible, stiff, unconvincing actor (as he was on Buffy and in nearly everything else he's ever been in) and impossible to swallow as the object of the flighty Rose's affections.

Still, Romola Garai and Rose Byrne were lovely as Cassandra and Rose, even though the central romances in the story were subverted by the performances of Thomas and Blucas. I was initially appalled by the idea of Bill Nighy and especially Tara Fitzgerald as the girls' parents, but both were quite good. It's too bad one can't totally ignore the two male leads and just concentrate on the good actors, but as they're central to the story, it's impossible. As such, this is a lackluster film adaptation of a wonderful book.

I Capture the Castle fmovies. I CAPTURE THE CASTLE, despite its protagonist being a young 17-year old girl, offers a universal theme: love is beautiful and great, and it can also hurt. Everyone who has ever been a teen knows what the lead is going through -- unable to distinguish between love and lust, or even how the opposite sex feels about you. It's a magical time in a person's life, but it's also extremely frightening and confusing. So wander through the mine fields of love with care, but also know that the hurt can't possibly last, and will soon enough be replaced by another love.

7 out of 10

(go to www.nixflix.com for a more detailed review of the movie)

Whenever there is a movie made from a book, there are bound to be shortcuts taken, characters combined or eliminated, adaptations made to make it suitable in size and scope -- but the overall tone should adhere, as best it can, to the source material. On this count, this movie fails miserably. The humor and wit of the book are entirely lacking in this dull melodrama

Romola Garai was well-cast as Cassandra and I'm certain she would have been better (lighter, more witty, less leaden) if she would have had better material. All others were pretty far off the mark, especially Tara Fitzgerald as Topaz and Marc Blucas as Neil. The latter is so wooden and his line readings so flat, I ducked my head in embarrassment for him whenever he opened his mouth to speak. Bill Nighy, so wonderful in other things, was also a grave miscast. None of the bluster and rather humorous pomposity of the character come through in his portrayal -- only neuroses, anger, and self-pity.

Perhaps this wouldn't be such a terrible movie to those unfamiliar with the book. However, if you loved the book I can't see how this film can be anything but

disappointing. The filmmakers who made "Cold Comfort Farm" should have done this one. It required that same light and loving touch. You won't find that here.

The rights to this film were rescued from Disney. I dread to think what Disney would have done with the book. Thank goodness they never tried it!

This book was one of my favourites, so I went to see the film in fear and trepidation. I needn't have worried. It is a beautiful film in its own right. Nothing was overstated. The emotions and nuances were captured perfectly by some wonderful performances, without the need to spell everything out in black and white.

Please see this film. I haven't enjoyed anything so much in ages.