FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Brennan Camacho Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Phillida Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

acmur I saw this film on release and turned away. The miniseries was too powerful still to accept another rendition.I revisited this Brideshead today and was moved powerfully. A briefer visit to be sure. Harder edges sharpened by that familiar and glorious house. Lord and Lady Marchmain more ruthlessly struck with far fewer strokes (bravo both). Julia in Venice and Charles' failure to understand or heed Cara's warning to "tread carefully" creating a more personal responsibility for the devastation of Sebastian.How much time do you have for a visit? For a full day outing go to the miniseries. Having so said, I will certainly take a side trip to this shorter gem again.

Tiago Lequerica I was extremely disappointed with this film. It does not deserve to carry the same name as the novel by Evelyn Waugh!As an avid reader of the book – and as someone who has seen the 1981 television series countless times – I was very much looking forward to a cinematic take on the story. I thought the opportunity would allow the director to make the most of costumes, sets, and characters. And this is true in the film. I do not blame actors, set designers, or indeed the production team in general, for any of the catastrophic mistakes in this production – I think they have all done a laudable job within their domains. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the casting team in this film remedied one of the very few misgivings about the television production, with a more suitable choice for the character of Antony Blanche. But despite such good choices, it is sad that the production team and the actors were given a script that inexcusably butchered Waugh's storyline to begin with.The beautifully nuanced relationship between Charles and Sebastian (from the book and television series) is here transformed into a bizarre, utilitarian and senseless association. The original story captured my imagination (years before the movie) due to parallels between the storyline and a relationship of my own at a very similar age to that of Charles and Sebastian at the beginning of the novel. I have never come across any other book that captures so compellingly the multi-layered feelings, bonds, attractions, and nature of this kind of relationship. The book contains multiple insinuations that refer to a deeply romantic attachment between these two characters. The attraction is mutual, emotional and physical. The book's use of language allows for an interpretation of their love as a platonic bond or as an increasingly sexual relationship, depending on the willingness of the reader to dwell on the analogical passages within the story. Waugh's delivery of a love story between two men is in tune with the historical time of the events – a time in which homosexuality was illegal in the United Kingdom. It is the story of a "love that dare not speak its name" (to quote Alfred Douglas). In the film, the nuances are completely thrown out of the window. Sebastian is now a needy, weak character. Charles is a gold digger, mesmerised by Sebastian's wealth and family, but never really attracted or attached to him as a person. The captivating love story that Waugh develops in multiple stages and locations (Brideshead, Oxford, Venice, etc) is all reduced in the movie to a pathetic and uninspired kiss that Sebastian steals from Charles after a drunken evening. The inclusion of Julia in the trip to Venice is absurd! In the novel this is where the relationship between Charles and Sebastian reaches maturity (with "Byronian" echoes). All in all, the film never gets close to telling the story of Charles and Sebastian. It destroys the characters, twists the narrative, and unforgivably uses the name "Brideshead Revisited" to tell a different story. The scriptwriters should be ashamed of themselves!

paul2001sw-1 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.

mikebasha Exquisite, simply and intrinsically beautiful. The portrayal is astounding and reflection is brilliant.Having read the novel before watching the movie I was petrified that it would ruin the beautiful novel, however it certainly does not.It outlines the books tragic story perfectly and with much skill. Theeffort gone into to making this divine movie must be mentioned and the exhilarating music, cleverly used to heighten every nerve in your body.I must say that having knowing the story beforehand made no difference. The inextricably serene yet heart-racing movie is a must.