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  Film: I Capture The Castle July 6, 2003 Reporter : Peter Thompson Peter's Verdict: catch it early. Director: Tim Fywell Genre: Drama Video: broadband  It seems a long time since we've had one of those wonderful, romantic English films like A Room with a View or The Wings of the Dove. Now comes I Capture the Castle, which lovingly recreates the summer of 1936 and the life of a very eccentric family.PETER THOMPSON: I Capture the Castle first appeared as a novel in 1948. Shortly after, the author Dodie Smith became famous for her children's book The One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which was turned into a highly successful animated Disney film and Hollywood also bought I Capture the Castle. Half a century later, the rights fell into the hands of British producer David Parfitt, who won an Academy Award in 1999 for Shakespeare in Love. In a sense, it meant bringing the novel back home, because, while it's about universal human themes, it's as English as it could possibly be. Freely but respectfully adapted from Dodie Smith's original work, the film rejoices in lush rural settings and a crumbling castle which James Mortmain rents and turns into the family home. Ten years later, Cassandra is 17 and while the family fortunes have declined, she keeps herself sane by writing copious notes in her diary. Quaint and charming as life in the castle is, the practical problems are greatly increased by Mortmain's stolid refusal to earn any money. It's 12 years since his groundbreaking novel Jacob Wrestling was published and there's been nothing since. Driven to despair at the prospect of being poor for the rest of her life, Cassandra's older sister Rose prays to the gargoyle in the kitchen. Her hopes appear to be answered when two Americans, Simon and Neil Cotton, appear in the middle of a raging storm. And this is where a major concern of the film — the nature of romantic love — emerges. With no experience and precious little information to go on, Cassandra and Rose are striking off into unknown territory. I Capture the Castle was written at a time when people had to make the leap from childhood directly into adulthood. Adolescence hadn't been invented and it certainly hadn't been enshrined in the movies — that would come in the 1950s. Much to Neil's annoyance, Rose makes a blatant attempt to win his brother Simon's affection.  It's a ritual that's been played out countless times. What makes I Capture the Castle exceptional is the wise and witty sensibility that Dodie Smith brings to the story. Her legacy is wonderfully served by director Tim Fywell and his cast, especially Romola Garai as Cassandra and Rose Byrne as Rose.If this were nothing more than another self-indulgent display of quaint English eccentricity, it would hardly warrant attention. Certainly, the pungent aroma of nostalgia heightens the appeal of Cassandra's journey, but all the characters emerge as undeniably real and complex. Adding to the weight of the underlying drama of events are notable actors Bill Nighy as Mortmain and Tara Fitzgerald as Topaz, the children's young stepmother. The arrival of the Americans and the formidable Mrs Cotton, played by Sinead Cusack, throws everyone's lives in the air. Romantic love visits the young Mortmain women and the brothers and the complications have comical overtones. But Dodie Smith takes her story in unexpected directions and digs much deeper into her characters than circumstances might suggest. There's enormous sympathy for the moral and emotional dilemmas that Cassandra and the others face. Dodie Smith died 13 years ago at the age of 94. It was a long and successful life and many people say that I Capture the Castle was her masterpiece. It's been a tremendously influential book and the film certainly does it justice. It's much more than a charming period piece and I hope word-of-mouth will be strong enough to generate audiences quickly. It's as good as any film currently in our cinemas, but nothing stays around for long these days. So if it appeals to you, catch it early. It deserves to be seen on the big screen. |
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