A
film adaptation of a TV mini series made in 1981, and set in England
just before the start of the Second World War, Brideshead Revisited
centres around Oxford student and budding artist, Charles Ryder
(Matthew Goode, Watchmen) over a ten-year period.
On
his first night at Oxford he meets Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw), a
flamboyant aristocrat. The two form a very close bond; one that
suggests a requited sexual desire.
However, while Sebastian is
falling madly in love with Charles, to Charles, this is only a phase in
his life. Although he loves Sebastian deeply as a friend, the two are
bound to fall out when Sebastian discovers that Charles' heart really
belongs to his sister, Julia (Hayley Atwell).
The story
follows these three characters and the way their lives are influenced
by the matriarch of Sebastian and Julia's family; their mother, Lady
Marchmain (Emma Thompson).
A devout Roman Catholic, Lady
Marchmain forces her religion upon her children, so much so that poor
Sebastian is driven practically insane with guilt over his
homosexuality, and Julia is forced to deny her love for Charles because
of his lack of religious faith.
While the performances are
utterly superb, the storyline is (to put it bluntly) incredibly dull.
In fact the "storyline" is more like an assortment of events, all of
which tie together but seem rather pointless. The film is more about
the characters and their emotional journeys; therefore the story seems
to fall by the wayside.
Brideshead Revisited
is a great film for the budding actor, and the character development is
excellent. But the film itself has no real highs or lows; nothing that
really draws you in. The love triangle between Charles, Sebastian and
Julia promises more than it delivers.
So rather than spending two hours of your life watching this movie... maybe spend that time doing something more productive. DVD EXTRAS with Sean Lynch
Nothing too special here at all... in fact, it's almost a complete waste of time - especially if you didn't enjoy the movie.
Bonus
Features include Deleted Scenes, a fairly flat audio commentary, and
"The World Of Brideshead" Featurette (which will really only please die
hards of the books and tv series).
Conclusion:
Movie 30% Extras: 50%
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