Rating: 
Summary: Creative Beauty
Review: I loved the clothes in this film and the way they could make it all seem like dress up. The style of the film was imaginative. The moat with the lily pads floating, I could almost feel the cold of the water. The castle even though it seemed like it could be cold it was warm in a cozy way with all the art of creative people living in it. I would love to stay in a castle like that where life could be created just like out of a story. Rites of passage held in the woods with a fire burning and wild dances. Flowing clothes and long hair flying out wildly. I want to go to Sherwood Forrest and see all the bluebells. The girl was romantic and wistful. Good Film- definately must go to the country in England after watching this film! Victorian Style want more of this in my life, its quite missing where I live. Creative Style with clothes, hair, etc. But all done without conformity and imaginative flair!!
Rating: 
Summary: Delightful coming of age story.......
Review: I must admit that I haven't read the book but I love British comedy/drama so I purchased this dvd without even having seen the film before. I must say I have been very pleased with my choice.I enjoy this film immensely. It brings to mind that other fascinating British adaptation, "Cold Comfort Farm" starring Kate Beckinsale. "I Capture the Castle" has that sweet, romantic, dreamy feel that completely enraptures the viewer with its charm, humor and wit. The story centers around 17 year old Cassandra Mortmain (Romola Garai of "Nicholas Nickleby" and "Daniel Deronda") and her eccentric family. Her father (Bill Nighy of "Love Actually" and "Underworld") is an author who hasn't written a word in 10 years. Her sister Rose (Rose Byrne of "Troy" and "Star Wars Episode II) yearns to marry well and get away from their dreary, depressed circumstances. Her stepmother Topaz (Tara Fitzgerald of "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall") is an eccentric artist who tries to keep her family together. Cassandra and her brother Thomas appear to be the only sensible beings in their household. Everyone else seems to be falling apart. Then there is their Adonis-like helper Stephen (an eye-opening role for Henry Cavill of "Count of Monte Cristo") who really does remind me of a Greek god. The Mortmain's lives are turned upside down with the arrival of the wealthy Cotton brothers (Henry Thomas of "E.T." and "I'm With Lucy" and Marc Blucas). Soon enough, Stephen falls in love with Cassandra who falls in love with older brother Simon Cotton who falls in love with Rose. Before long, Rose is planning her wedding. The story climaxes when secrets are revealed and the phrase "you cannot control who you fall in love with" really does come to play. The highlights of this film are the brilliant performances, namely of Romola Garai, Rose Byrne and Bill Nighy; the gorgeous and dreamy cinematography; and the enchanting story. It is, above all, a story of love and hope, and Cassandra's optimism throughout the story really shines through. I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
Review: I really enjoyed this film. The cast is so engaging, particularly Henry Thomas, whom I continue to say is sadly underused in Hollywood. Cassandra's father is a bit of a lout but then Dodie Smith's rendition of him in the novel (of the same name on which the film is based) makes him that way. One really cannot help but feel sorry for the orphaned farmhand boy who is so desperately in love with Cassandra. Of course the entire she loves him/he loves the other girl/who loves someone else setup of the plot makes for a sad and poignant tale, but the actors do not lose themselves in saccharine or trite portrayals of lovesick fools or trounced love interests. Instead they bring a fresh and very welcome ensemble performance which makes "I Capture the Castle" a rare and wonderful movie which all will adore.
Rating: 
Summary: Okey Coming-of-Age Film
Review: I was disappointed by this film because I had been led to believe (from reviews) that it was "hilarious", "enchanting", etc. I am a fan of English movies, period pieces and such but this story did not enchant me. I had not read the book and perhaps that was a drawback--or not. At any rate, I found it somewhat confusing (although most of my questions were eventually answered) and ultimately I lost interest in all the quirkiness, unrequited love, and seediness. I do think that the cast did a professional job but with the exception of the actress playing Cassandra, I saw no real sparkle.
Rating:
Summary: different than the book, but still okay
Review: I was prepared to be very disappointed by this movie, as I've loved the book for years. But the film version actually made me think about the serious aspects of the plot - aspects that are under-emphasized in the book due to the narrator's dry British wit. The film focuses almost exclusively on the melodramatic, but it made me realize that the events of the book really are quite serious: the family is nearly starving, the father did serve in prison for pulling a knife on the mother, and Rose's fiance kisses her sister, who then falls in love with him. The film made me think about the deeper story of the Mortmain family, behind Cassandra's humorous narrative. If you've read the book and loved it, don't worry that the film will ruin it for you.
Rating: 
Summary: A Disappointment
Review: I watched this movie twice to try to give it a fair chance, but I was just as disappointed the second time even when I was prepared for what was coming. Anyone who loved the humor, charm and well-roundedness of the novel, please don't expect to find that here. The plot has been reduced to just being about sexual tension (not love), depression and struggling against poverty. Cassandra is a shadow of her book self. She's mopey and despressed... kind of like the movie. Cassandra and her father have a reunion/fogiveness scene that is not in the book and doesn't really fit the characters, and Simon's motives for kissing Cassandra are reinterpreted, turning him into a real cad. I think the book's magic is gone. For those like me hoping for a worthy film to capture "Capture the Castle", we'll have to settle in for a long wait.
Rating: 
Summary: Book was wonderful - movie was not
Review: It generally goes without saying that a film adaptation is never going to be as good as the novel on which it is based, but I can't think of another novel-into-film that missed the mark so completely as this one. The book is insightful and touching but also very funny, with some really wonderful, original language. It's clever and poignant and has one of the most delightful narrators out there.
The movie, on the other hand, gets so bogged down with sentimentality that it just drags along, devoid of energy. There are some beautiful locations and the cast looks okay and seems capable enough, but the film has been directed as a heavy drama with deep dark pain at its core-- instead of a romantic coming-of-age story that mixes comedy, drama and quirky charm in equal measure. Everyone in the movie just seems so miserable, even in scenes where they're supposed to be happy.
The voice-over narration is one of the biggest problems. In the book the story is told through the journal entries of 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain, a very bright aspiring writer, and her voice has an intensity, precociousness and excitement that just hurls the reader blissfully along; but in the movie Cassandra's voice-over narration lacks every single one of these qualities and instead has a solemn, mournful tone. This is probably more the director's fault than the actress's, although some blame should also go to the screenwriter, who has the unfortunate habit of substituting her own annoyingly mediocre narration and dialogue in place of the often brilliant language that's readily available in Dodie Smith's novel. The screenwriter also seems to have felt the need to invent more than one scene completely out of nowhere; one huge scene in particular between Cassandra and her father is not only NOT in the book, but it contradicts everything the book stands for-- and in such a maudlin, obvious, after-school-special type of way. Sadly, they really blew it with this interpretation of a thoroughly enjoyable book.
Rating:
Summary: Terrible Screenwriter
Review: It was clear from the commentary that the screenwriter did not understand or appreciate much of the book she was adapting. Almost any adaptation has to change or leave out parts of a book, but this screenwriter added unnecessary melodrama and destroyed the humor of the original. She also claimed scenes were true to the book when they weren't and made changes that didn't make sense. The worst was that she made a big deal about not changing the ending, saying that Dodie Smith (the author) had been offered half a million dollars by book-of-the-month club to change it and she (the screenwriter) felt that if Smith resisted that much money it was important the ending stay the same. And she changed it! She changed it in a different way but the change was just as bad, arguably worse. She also changed some scenes in a way that made them not only contrary to fiction, but also to the real era in which the events of the movie are supposed to take place. Many movies do this, but I wish they wouldn't. On the plus side, the scenery was beautiful (though wrong for the supposed setting) and the acting was good for the most part. It was too bad that the story was changed enough that Neil and Simon behaved bizarrely and inexplicably. Neil especially was a strange caricature of an American, but given what he had to work with, I don't suppose it was the actor's fault. I'm sure I would have liked this movie slightly more if I had not read the book, but I still wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The screenwriter's plot just doesn't make sense. Maybe no screenplay could have adequately conveyed the character's motivations and the plot only makes sense in book form, but this attempt is truly terrible.
Rating:
Summary: great performances...
Review: quirky, coming of age film. I was glad to see such fine performances by "character" actors like Bill Nighy, Tara Fitgerald, and bravo performance by Henry Thomas! I think the gist of the film should be more about that being truthful with oneself and others, while painful, is always better than living a lie. I'd say this is definately a keeper, though I probably wouldn't buy new as I'm one of those saps who wanted a "fairytale" ending. Otherwise, 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: SO charming! Wonderful Acting! 5 Stars!
Review: Romola Garai does a wonderful job in her "breakout" role as Cassandra, a teenage girl living in the English countryside with her family. Her father, a brilliant but struggling writer tries to earn money to put food on the table.
The story follows their creativity through the eyes of Cassandra. SUCH a fun film to watch - don't miss it!!
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