Brideshead Revisited (2008) More at IMDb Pro »

"Brideshead Revisited" (2008) is a British film directed by Julian Jarrold, based on the novel by Evelyn Waugh. The movie is told in flashback. During WW II, an English officer--Charles Ryder, played by Mathew Goode--is stationed at Brideshead, the same immense country home at which he was a guest many years earlier.

Charles is a successful artist, who had met the wealthy Sebastian Flyte (played by Ben Whishaw), who lived at Brideshead, when they were both undergraduates.

In the flashback, Ryder is fascinated by Flyte, one of the "Bright Young Things" who represented the height of elegance and sophistication in the years between the two world wars. (Victorian ideals of gallantry and noble patriotism had pretty much been destroyed by the gas and filth of WW I. The next upper-class generation valued wit and alcohol more.)

Emma Thompson plays Lady Marchmain, who presides over Brideshead in an imperious, overbearing way. (Wit and alcohol don't appeal to her--the only thing more important to her than the proper dress for dinner is her profound Catholic faith.) Also at Brideshead is Sebastian's sister, Julia Flyte (Hayley Atwell) with whom Ryder falls in love.

The plot of the film involves the attraction of Charles to both Julia and Sebastian, the importance of art in a world of commerce, and--in this movie--the stultifying effects of intense faith.

The problem with "Brideshead Revisited" is that we don't really care about any of the characters. Charles has a genuine desire to be an artist, but that's the only positive attribute that we see. Sebastian is drunk most of the time, and cynical whether drunk of sober. Julia is immensely attractive, especially in the early scenes when her hair is styled in a the severe, Louise Brooks fashion, but she has little else to recommend her.

Emma Thompson is, as always, fascinating to watch and to hear. In my opinion, she is one of the greatest English-language actors in the world, and I can only marvel at her skill. However, the character she plays is rigid, haughty, and fanatical, so there is no way you can like or admire her.

Castle Howard is used as the setting for Brideshead. It's not really a castle--its a huge manor house set on an enormous estate. (If the film were entitled, "Great Houses of England," Castle Howard would get star billing.) You can't help but be impressed by this glorious residence, with its expensive furnishings and dozens of staff. However, a beautiful house, a star performance, and a great hair style don't add up to a wonderful movie. There was probably a wonderful movie in here somewhere, but this wasn't it.

The film is worth seeing for what it has to offer, but don't pass up a better film to see this one.