I hadn't planned on seeing this film but it turned out that there were just the usual lame Hollywood summer flicks playing in the theatres. So I decided to check out this British movie. Turns out that it was a good choice to see this film as it is a very fine movie that centers on the coming-of-age saga of a young girl. And the facts that the author of the original novel also wrote 101 Dalmatians and that my mom told me what a great book this is, convinced me even more to go see this film.  

      When the movie begins, the Mortmain family discovers this old castle in the country and James, the father, decides this is where the family will live and where he will follow-up his previous book with writing a masterpiece in this castle. Fast forward about twelve years, and we find that the father has writer's block and has not written a word for his next book. The two daughters, Cassandra and Rose, fear that they will never escape from this dread life in the castle and seem to only dream about meeting those perfect men who will marry them and take them away to a much better life. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that their real mother had previously died and their step-mother Topaz is a free spirit and an artist. With their father seemingly growing more insane every day, the sisters are more determined than ever to try to escape and live a better life. 

      As the rent is past due and food money is becoming scarcer each day, it seems just a matter of time before ruin sets in. But one day, the sons and heirs of the property arrive at the castle and both men instantly fall in love with Rose who is the prettiest and outgoing of the sisters. Cassandra, who is the narrator of the story, secretly falls in love with Simon but holds back because Rose is also madly in love with Simon. Because it is evident that Rose will marry anybody in order to get out of the castle, it seems just a matter of time before she and Simon get married. All this leads to a complicated romantic melodrama which ends up involving Cassandra and Neil's secret feelings. The rest of the story will keep you guessing on how all this will play out and which, if any, of the girls will actually get married. And we find out what happens with the strained relationship between James and Topaz and whether the father will ever write another book again. 

      There is much to like about this film and very little to find fault with. Both Romola Garai and Rose Byrne as the sisters are most engaging on screen and you can't hope but for the best for both of these characters. Bill Nighy as the very troubled father is perfect in this role and you hope for him to escape his growing insanity in the end as well. I've seen Tara Fitzgerald in many roles before and she puts in her usual unique portrayal of this free-spirit woman surrounded by all this turmoil. Henry Thomas and Marc Blucas play the Cotton brothers in a convincing way although Thomas had the strangest American accent that I've ever heard. 

      The cinematography in this film is luscious and beautiful. From the dark gray walls of the castle surrounded by the lush green of the countryside to the dark moat that runs around the outside, the look of the film is simply marvelous. But what makes the film totally work in my opinion are the performances by the two actresses playing the daughters. Both were just perfect playing these young sisters and they came across as real people, and not just bitchy teenage girls that we usually see in films. And as I've said before, all the acting is top-notch in this film. 

      This is a fine film for teenagers of both sexes to go see. But alas, they will end up seeing trash like "Charlie's Angels" and "Tomb Raiders" instead. Such a shame as this is the kind of interesting story with rich characters that should be on their movie going list. While maybe not one of the very best movies I have seen this year, it is still a well made film and I highly recommend it.