I Capture the Castle (2003)

Fantastic!

As Good As It Gets

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This is a superb romantic film strewn throughout with light touches of delightful and eccentric comedy. It was directed by Tim Fywell, one of Britain's finest directors, and is adapted from a novel by Dodie Smith. The lead role is played by Romola Garai, then aged 18, and she is utterly charming and, dare I say, thoroughly spell-binding. Despite her youth, she had already been acting in films for three years, so she had mastered the art of relating to the camera already. The film works like absolute magic. Bill Nighy as Garai's eccentric father is kept well under control so that he does not overact or over-tic, and he therefore carries off his key role superbly. Garai's even more eccentric mother is played by Tara Fitzgerald, and she too is just right for the apart. After all, she has never been 'as others are', as I learned when she was 14 and we won at hockey on the Harris's lightly snow-dusted tennis court one Christmas. That was before she ever acted, except in real life of course! She has lent her magic to many a fine film and TV series, and will doubtless continue to do so with her special touch. See her in THE ENGLISHMAN WHO WENT UP A HILL BUT CAME DOWN A MOUNTAIN (1995, see my review), ANGLO-SAXON ATTITUDES (1992, see my review), and THE CAMOMILE LAWN (1991, see my review) for three of her very best roles (of her 48 credits). This film of an impoverished Bohemian artistic family who live in a rented castle, wondering how they can pay the rent or even eat their next meal, exudes charm from every sprocket-hole, and treats love romantically, rather than as an occasion merely for grunting and rutting on screen, and that is so unusual these days. Anyone who wants to be delightfully entertained need look no further for a congenial DVD than this.

In the picturesque 1930's English countryside "I Capture the Castle" tells the story of an eccentric family in a decrepit, murky and leaky old castle that is now a shadow of its former majestic self, as is the father of the family. Their financial and romantic struggles are sewn together by an apt narrative by its lead character Cassandra (Romola Garai) who is the youngest daughter in the family. The film is adapted from the same-titled cultish novel by Dodie Smith and it is glaringly apparent that the latter is interwoven with classic Jane Austen elements: class struggles, layered characters, English landscapes – and one heck of a high-spirited and likable heroine, Lizze Bennet-style.Yes, the film wholly belongs to Romolai Garai who portrays this heroine with remarkable sweetness, honesty and selflessness. Although there is a wealth of intrinsically 'good' characters to be found in the story, Cassandra is unmistakably the most likable one and indeed she propels the film with her warm, caring charisma. It is a damn shame the unspeakably talented Romola was not showered with awards for her unrivalled performance. Billy Nighy also chips in as the father of the family – a failed writer who suffers from chronic writer's block and is moody and self-indulgent because of it. Yet he moves away from the Nighy-like acting of "charming prat" here and instead hands in a bruised, broken and tragic performance. The conflict emerges with the blossoming of Rose (Rose Byrne), the oldest sister. She is the official family beauty and selfish on the surface, desperate to marry so she will get away from the miserable old leaky castle and escape into wealth. In a time of social climbers, Rose is a mountaineer. So naturally when one night two rich and eligible American bachelors (and brothers) set foot in the castle, she takes her chance. Cassandra forever takes a backseat to her older sister, but remains kind and happy for her nonetheless.When Rose starts climbing the social latter, the financial constraints of the family are eased, but is she truly willing to marry only for money? 'I Capture the Castle' explores this question through the perspective of Cassandra as she writes her 147 pages of musings. It often offers delicate and classy humour in the juxtapositions of the seedy, drafty castle life with the glossy upper-class dinners at the American brothers' estates and indeed the whole film is peppered with light-hearted comedic situations and crafted with humorous, charming strokes. Yet it needs to be said that were it not for Romola Garai as the spirited tomboy Cassandra, the castle would have fallen apart – literally and figuratively.There is that unmistakable romantic angle to every element of the story – never chick-flicky but always love-oriented – that renders I Capture the Castle a pleasant Austen-diversion. Hard-boiled attention-deficit action-viewers, you have been warned.8 out of 10

Haven't seen such a beautifully portrayed romantic film in years! Of course Romola Garai(Cassandra)was great and more so charming; but so was Rose Byrne(Rose)detestable! What I mean to say is that the actress (I mean Byrne)is someone to lookout for. Because in both her films, this one and'Wicker Park', she's made audiences truly hate her respective characters. Whereas, in 'Troy', you fall in love with this damsel-in-distress kinda princess! But the reason I liked this movie was that all the actors did justice to their roles. The father is played just fine. And the stepmother is not the prototype abusive one; she's good to the girls. And the sibling rivalry as well as the bond of love between them is grippingly enacted. My Best of Luck to Romola and Rose!

This has always been one of my favourite books. I was thrilled when I saw that the book had been made into a movie, for the first time since it was written, over 50 years before.I think Romola Garai is brilliant as Cassandra, but it is a shame that some of the dialogue she is given just does not compare well with the book. Bill Nighy did not seem to be the right actor for James Mortmain, who I think is more of a stiff-upper-lip type, not so artsy as Nighy portrays him - Mortmain has written a book but it's a scholarly work.I know a book has to change when it becomes a movie, but I missed characters like the romantically-minded school teacher and the dressmaker's dummy that Cassandra "brings to life". I also miss details like Topaz and Rose having long blonde hair (described beautifully in the opening pages of the book) and Thomas being 15 - so not quite as precocious as he appears to be in the movie.The movie captures some of the book's charm: the castle, the countryside, Cassandra's emotions, but I felt it was unnecessary to make up a particular scene between Cassandra and her father (I think this was done to accommodate Nighy's acting style) and I was really disappointed by the ending, where Cassandra seemingly lets go of her love, writing it off as a general experience, rather than declaring her love, as she does in the book, and her hope that the man she loves will return.