FILM ADAPATATION: I Capture the Castle

Since I just did a review on the book, "I Capture the Castle", I thought I'd write about the movie as well. Film adaptations are such a great additional form of enjoying the stories of our beloved novels. Based on my experience, the books are better most of the time; however, there are those rare instances when the movie is just as good or even better. These films can add a totally refreshing perspective to the story and the characters.

I Capture the Castle is the perfect example of a film adaptation done right. Everything about this movie was simply wonderful. The cast was perfect; the script was great - the two things vital to an adaptation's success. Romola Garai, one of my favorite actresses, did an excellent job portraying Cassandra. At first, I wasn't sure if she was the best choice because I had seen some of her previous works, and physically, she didn't really match my image of Cassandra. Romola is quite tall and is a very beautiful girl. I always pictured Cassandra to be smallish and very plain looking. However, Romola completely transformed her look for the movie, and she really pulled it off. She was able to capture Cassandra's innocence, charm, naivete, sense, intelligence, and the range of emotions she experiences throughout the story.

The rest of the cast was equally superb, especially Bill Nighy who played the father, the frustrated writer. The setting, the costumes, the music, everything else was in sync with how I imagined the book to be. However, my absolute favorite thing about the movie, that I preferred over the book, was the ending. The ending in the film was just fabulous. I have to say that the ending in the novel broke my heart a little bit. It left a pang of sadness and confusion in my heart, but the one in the movie left hope and happiness. It made me smile. :)