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I CAPTURE THE CASTLE
Review by Chastity Campbell
Stars: Marc Blucas, Rose Byrne, Sinead Cusack, Tara
Fitzgerald, Romola Garai, Bill Nighy, Henry Thomas
Director: Time Fywell
Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital, Surround
Video: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Format & 1.33:1 Standard Full Screen
Studio: Columbia Tri Star
Features: See Review
Length: 113 Minutes
Release Date: December 23, 2003
“You can’t choose who you fall
in love with!”
Film ***
I Capture The Castle is the journey of many through
the eyes of one young girl struggling to over come the hurdles life places in
your way on the road to becoming an adult.
Cassandra Mortmain vividly remembers her last truly happy
day. It was when her father had
driven them out to see the castle that would become their new home.
That was twelve years ago, and unfortunately, the majestic castle she
remembers from so long ago did not turn out to be the stuff of fairytales.
Cassandra’s father has writer’s block (twelve year’s
worth!), her stepmother is a nudist constantly seeking release, and her brother
is, well…he’s an annoying little brother.
Her older sister Rose is definitely the beauty in the
family, which leaves poor Cassandra with nothing but her pen and wit!
They have no money for food, and the rent is two years past
due. It the early part of the
twentieth century, and they haven’t invented those nifty lock out boxes yet.
You know, the kind when you don’t pay your rent and you come home from
begging handouts to find your doors locked with no way in to get your stuff out!
They are at the end of their rope, but before they get hung
out to dry, the winds of change blow their way, and with it, a couple of
American men who just might be their salvation.
First let me say that I did enjoy this movie…it wasn’t
deeply moving, but it was fun to watch, plus it was entertaining, and isn’t
that what movies are supposed to be anyway?
Now having said that, the story was way too predictable.
I don’t believe for a minute that every story that can possibly be told
has been told. I think that
Hollywood writers in general have gotten lazy.
Original ideas are hard to come by and hard to sell, but the same old
stories of love, and loss don’t become brand new by adding different actors
and actresses.
Speaking of the people behind the characters, I was well
and truly impressed by the amount of talent and acting skill that I witnessed
while watching this film. The
actors and actresses put a lot of effort into this production, and you can tell
that these people know their craft, and know it well.
Each person brought their character to life, and gave them all such
definitive personalities. I could
almost swear that Garai, who plays 17-year-old Cassandra, was really related to
Bill Nighy who plays her father in the film.
They worked so well together it was a true testament to their abilities.
Rose Byrne didn’t really impress me as the handmaiden to Natalie Portman’s Padme in Star Wars Episode II, but as the moody, older sister in this film, she absolutely shined.
I could easily fall into the up and down rhythm of her
character. She showed a whole
other side to her personality than I have ever seen before from her.
I hope she has many more opportunities in the future to develop her
skills because she is definitely one to watch in my opinion.
If not for that adorable Vampire Slayer Buffy, I probably
wouldn’t have a clue as to who Marc Blucas was. But after watching him portray Buffy’s boyfriend Riley Finn
for two seasons, I can safely say I know him well.
Well, okay, I don’t know him, but I liked him enough to name my dog
after his character on the show!
Blucas is definitely a raw talent. He’s got plenty of charm, and that devilish smile he loves
to flash is enough to make any girl go weak in the knees.
I hope to see more from him in the future.
Finally, we have that E.T. loving little boy who’s
grown up into quite a man. Henry
Thomas all but dropped off the radar maps after the release of E.T.
I can remember being impressed when I realized he was starring opposite
Brad Pitt in Legends Of The Fall. The
movie was truly wonderful, but he didn’t get enough screen time in the film
for me to determine how far he had come as an actor.
While I Capture The Castle isn’t a blockbuster that will sail
his career back into outer space, it is definitive proof that he is a great
actor with star quality written all over him.
This movie is back to basics good, without all the special
effects that Hollywood has become too dependant on. Does Rose get her man, and will Cassandra finally find love?
I’ll never tell…grab the DVD and take it for a spin, so you can try
to capture the beauty and mystery of the castle for your self.
Video ***
This DVD’s was presented for your viewing pleasure in two
distinct formats. A 2.35:1
Anamorphic Widescreen format gives you the full access to the picturesque
landscape surround the castle itself. The
colors were bright and vivid, without any hazing, or softening around the edges.
The 1.33:1 Standard Full Screen does lose a few points for the narrow
picture it presents. After viewing
both it’s easy to note that quite a bit of picture is lost with the narrowing
of the aspect ratio. Having said
that the color, and quality of the DVD in this format was just as crisp and
vivid as the Anamorphic Widescreen presentation.
Audio ***
The audio quality on this disc was quite good.
The balance between the music beds and dialogue was seamless.
There were no dropouts or varying audio levels during any of the extra
features or the film itself.
The soundtrack was a very nice mix of classical piano and
1930’s crooners. I really
enjoyed the music of this disc almost as much as the movie.
Features **
The filmmakers’ commentary is very nicely done, and when
viewed along with actress Romola Garai’s interview, it helps to bring a lot of
the subtle aspects of this film to light.
Some extra movie trailers, along with deleted scenes and an
alternate ending, are only a click away when using the fully interactive menus.
Summary:
