I Capture the Castle

2003 "You can't choose who you fall in love with"
6.8| 1h53m| en| More Info
Released: 09 May 2003 Released
Producted By: BBC
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

A love story set in 1930s England that follows 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain, and the fortunes of her eccentric family, struggling to survive in a decaying English castle. Based on Dodie Smith's 1948 novel with the same name.

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Reviews

CommentsXp Best movie ever!
Megamind To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.
AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.
Vetiver Some films have achieved cult status. Labyrinth is one of them. But there's been many other films that are really good, but they've remained under the radar and overlooked. I Capture the Castle is one of them. Labyrinth fans would adore this film. It was captivating from the opening scene, when the protagonist was dreamily journaling in the sink of her quirky family's castle. Everything in the film was sweet, dreamy, imaginative, and delightful. It was based on an equally- delightful and imaginative vintage novel by Dodie Smith. "I write this sitting in the kitchen sink." - that's how the novel began. More appealing quirkiness I can't imagine.Anglophiles, rejoice. You'll find bliss in the movie and the book. Escape, and imagine, and watch or read away. A Secret Garden fans would love this, too. If you like girly, British-y romances, with pretty, earnest, artsy characters, and families that are off-the-beaten-path, and decaying castles in the English countryside - then you'll love this movie.
Dan1863Sickles 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 emotionThe 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.
tjm225 ...set in the 1930s in the English countryside. The young protagonist, 17 year old Cassandra, sets down in her diary her thoughts and adventures growing up in a bohemian family living in a rented castle. Her father is a novelist who has suffered writer's block and whose declining fortunes have reduced the family to a bare pantry existence. Relief comes in the form of two American brothers who inherit the land on which the castle sits. Cassandra's slightly older sister Rose sets her sights on landing one of the brothers as a husband, and a lot of romantic complications follow. The film has many strengths, and a few weaknesses. The strengths include the beautiful photography and winsome performances by the actors who play Cassandra and other members of her family. The main weakness is some uneven pacing which makes the film stumble along in parts. However, the characters are well drawn and likable, and the film has a commonsensical ending which rings true.
Hunky Stud Stephen is indeed a beautiful guy. The casting director did a good job to find all those people. I have not read the novel, however, i think that this movie is well done.There is one thing that I did not think that it is possible. It is when the little boy starts to talking how the young girl who is about to get married does not talk about her future husband all the time at all. And it also did make sense, why did the girl wrote him a list of things that she is getting. And what little boy knows anything about adult life.the movie is well shot, the color was right and romantic. I especially when the girl walked in the forest with Stephen, it seems to be a place that has never been touched by human steps. it might be more beautiful if it was shot during a froggy day.The ending was not too surprising. it is a little formulated, not unexpected. Love will always be the forever topic in films.