Brideshead Revisited (2008)

Wonderful character development!

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

To begin with, it is impossible to watch this movie without comparing it to the TV-series. The series was such a big and important thing for us who were young in the 1980:s. At school, we girls used to discuss with great heat, which man we liked the most - Charles or Sebastian! :-) So, my first feeling was that this new movie was quite an unnecessary production. The perfect rendering of the novel was already there, and you cannot make anything more than perfect, can you..! But then, when I watched it, I still found it to be really good! But this is only because the producer has copied the series. For instance, the actors are chosen to look as much as the original actors as possible, and even the house is the same! But if you can try and forget about the series - or if you by some unlikely lapse have missed the series - this movie is very good! Beautiful, romantic, sensitive, melancholy, and with a lot of excellent dialogue, poetical language and wonderful music!In fact, I must admit that ONE thing was better in the movie: the choice of actor to play Charles. I always thought that Jeremy Irons looked too worn and haggard - especially in the scenes from the university years, when he was supposed to be a very young man. Matthew Goode is much more handsome and attractive, with a very soulful face which is perfect as a background for all the profound and poetic thoughts that we hear Charles tell us! No one can surpass Anthony Andrews as Sebastian, though - he could have been born to do that role! :-)

The themes of 'Brideshead Revisted' are not dissimilar to those of 'The Great Gatsby'; and there are later echoes in Alan Holingshurst's 'The Line of Beauty' as well. In all three stories, an outside becomes infatuated with the sublime life of the aristocracy; but eventually learns the painful lesson that he does not belong. I haven't read 'Brideshead', but on the basis of this film version, it's the inferior of the tales. Partly this is because the character of the outsider is never wholly established as such, and seems far too naturally at home in the privileged environment for the sense of not belonging to truly take hold. And partially, it's because what excludes him is not so much the wealth and power of his patrons, but their fanatical Catholicism, a theme that lacks contemporary traction and seems in any case incidental (if only the family had been less religious, everyone could have had a happy ending); whereas in 'Gatsby' and 'The Line of Beauty', the story essentially denies the fantasy of an open elite. I never felt there was much as stake here, save for the happiness of a central character who is in any case blessed with looks, talent and (a certain amount of) money of his own. But I'm still tempted to read the novel and see if there are depths to the story undug here.

Doing re-makes may be attractive to the uncreative directors who can't come up with an idea of their own; but doing re-makes may also be a tricky business: You always have an original measure against. Now doing re-makes of Jeremy Irons is brave indeed. I only now saw the film and was left with the feeling that some people don't really know where they get into. It would be more prudent to imitate comic books or second-rate performances by third-class actors. The problem with doing a remake of Brideshead Revisited on screen is that the original is darn good. Attempting a remake would demand a whole battery of Emma Thompsons and most of all a better direction and writing.Lovely Julia, by the way! One day, all women will look like that!

The book by Evelyn Waugh is a masterpiece with great characters and memorable situations. The mini-series beforehand was sublime, brilliantly acted and exquisite in the details not to mention faithful. Now I am not a purist or anything, but this film could and should have been so much better considering how good the book is.Granted the settings and cinematography are exquisite as are the costumes. And the music score was quite nice as well. However, that's the only praise I can give unfortunately.The main problem was the way the story was told. This story didn't feel like the wonderful, poignant story of Brideshead Revisited, instead it felt like a story full of paper thin characters, sketchy relationships and dialogue that sometimes took you out of the period. Yes the themes of forbidden love and loss of innocence are there but they are handled in a superficial manner. The acting is lacking too, Greta Scacchi is a good actress but she isn't beautiful or compelling enough, while Ben Whishaw is very uncharismatic with Sebastian being too effete and his development is rather rushed, and Matthew Goode is okay if stiff but his character could have been much better written and developed. Then there are great actors such as Michael Gambon and Emma Thompson who are wasted with underwritten characters, and Hayley Atwell is positively radiant but just so-so in her acting. In fact Patrick Malahide is the only one who acquits himself well.Overall, a big disappointment but not absolutely unwatchable. 3/10 Bethany Cox