I Capture the Castle

Viewers' enjoyment of this glossy adaptation of Dodie Smith's 1948 novel--reportedly one of Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling's favorite books--will depend on their tolerance for exaggerated whimsy and woozy romanticism. Set in the photogenic 1930s, the story revolves around two daughters in the impoverished Mortmain family, a clan headed by a slightly batty paterfamilias and an exhibitionist-artist stepmother, who inhabit a dilapidated medieval castle in southeast England. Cassandra (Romola Garai) is the bookish one, loved from afar by the family's faithful handyman, while Rose (Rose Byrne) is the emotional one, intent on marrying well. The arrival of the two wealthy American brothers (Henry Thomas and Marc Blucas) who own the estate on which the Mortmain's home stands sets off a shifting kaleidoscope of romantic couplings. While director Tim Fywell's I Capture the Castle boasts lovely settings and beautiful cinematography, its convoluted tale of the vagaries of true love is served up in the gauzy, cutesy style that is so often employed to italicize lovable British eccentricity and period charm. Unfortunately, the result in this case is more precious and prosaic than entrancing or poetic. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include both widescreen and full screen versions; audio commentary by director Tim Fywell, screenwriter Heidi Thomas, and producer David Parfitt; an eight-minute interview with costar Romola Garai; four minutes of deleted scenes; and trailers. Bottom line: always nice to have both viewing formats on one disc, and the actual extras here are decent, even if the film will divide viewers.] (F. Swietek)