Technically, it's a marvel. The cinematography, costume design and score are all absolutely gorgeous. But I couldn't get into the story. Usually stuff like this interests me quite a lot, but the characters all felt so wooden and stale that I could never invest myself in what was happening in the story. There are moments that are clearly supposed to be emotionally powerful, but I felt nothing. The acting was disappointing. Matthew Goode was very stiff and uninteresting. I could say the same for Emma Thompson. Hayley Atwell, however, added another strong supporting turn to her impressive year. With this, The Duchess and Cassandra's Dream she really came into her own this year. I can't wait to see more from her. Ben Whishaw managed to rise a notch above the rest of the film, giving an interesting, unique portrayal. I wish there could have been more focus on him and he hadn't just disappeared with half an hour left. Overall a visually impressive work with two solid performances that couldn't draw me in no matter how hard it tried.
Review of Brideshead Revisited
