I Capture The Castle
You can't choose who you fall in love with.
The film follows 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain (Romola Garai) and the fortunes of her eccentric family, struggling to survive in a decaying English castle. Her father (Bill Nighy) is desperate to repeat the spectacular success of his first novel, but hasn't written a word for 12 years; her exquisite sister Rose (Rose Byrne) can only rail against their fate; and their Bohemian stepmother Topaz (Tara Fitzgerald) is a nudist and no help at all. Salvation comes in the form of their handsome new American landlord Simon Cotton (Henry Thomas) and his brother Neil (Marc Blucas). Although initially repelled by Simon, Rose is determined to make him fall in love with her. But events spiral out of control, and before the summer ends there will be frustrated desire, first love, and broken hearts.
Member Reviews
Captivating - SPSullivan
"I Capture The Castle" is one of those British films where everybody is a mostly-lovable eccentric and matters of the heart are paramount. If you've seen this sort of movie before, you should have a pretty good idea of what to expect this time, too. That said, "I Capture The Castle" does serve as a more grounded example of the genre, relying less on contrived melodrama and more on genuine emotions. Consider James, the head of the oddball Mortmain clan. Superficially, James is the traditional barmy dad, a wild-eyed artist whose utterances are variously crazy or brilliant (and sometimes both). Yet "I Capture The Castle" is not afraid to shed further light on the character, giving us insight into the motivations for, and consequences of, James' peculiar manner. This, together with Nighy's fine acting, helps to create a deeper character than would normally be the case. "I Capture The Castle" benefits from several similarly strong, appealing performances, including Garai's winning turn as "normal" daughter Cassandra. Joe Sowerbutts is also memorable as the irrepressible Mortmain son, Thomas. Beautifully filmed on the Isle of Man, "I Capture The Castle" makes us long for an England which probably never really existed -- one full of crumbling castles and the romantic intrigues which play out therein. At least we can visit that England at the cinema.Another Bill Nighy Scene-Stealer. - Yogini
Forget the coming-of-age slant; it really is the middle-aged people in the film who are the stars. Bill Nighy and Tara Fitzgerald are wonderful. The story is charming. The scenery is gorgeous. The sets are superb. This is another "watch-again" film, and it improves with each watching.Unconventional, coming of age story with penache - deedee
At first I thought this was going to be your basic girl-meets-boy period piece, but it's soooooo much more than that! What an enchanting, lovely story, with irresistible, earnest characters skipping delightfully from one emotionally volatile, theatrical scene to another. (I loved the segment where Cassandra, the protaganist, aghast at the family's impoverished circumstances, bursts out into a rainstorm threatening to borrow money from the vicar so she might go to town and become a prostitute. It's ridiculous of course, and yet, what adolescent hasn't been so mortally frustrated with his/her family.) The plot is a little too complicated to go into detail, but you get the general idea from the synopsis. It's not just a story about love, but the unfairness of who falls in love with whom. And about how dangerous and all-consuming it can be. Also, while the movie definitely smacks of chickflickness at times, the story is so intelligently presented that even the two guys in our company enjoyed it. Rent it with confidence! P.S. I didn't know this, but apparently the film was adapted from the book penned by the same author who wrote 101 Dalmations.
Member Reviews
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Captivating - SPSullivan
"I Capture The Castle" is one of those British films where everybody is a mostly-lovable eccentric and matters of the heart are paramount. If you've seen this sort of movie before, you should have a pretty good idea of what to expect this time, too. That said, ...Another Bill Nighy Scene-Stealer. - Yogini
Forget the coming-of-age slant; it really is the middle-aged people in the film who are the stars. Bill Nighy and Tara Fitzgerald are wonderful. The story is charming. The scenery is gorgeous. The sets are superb. This is another "watch-again" film, and ...Unconventional, coming of age story with penache - deedee
At first I thought this was going to be your basic girl-meets-boy period piece, but it's soooooo much more than that! What an enchanting, lovely story, with irresistible, earnest characters skipping delightfully from one emotionally volatile, theatrical scene ...