The allure of director Tim Fywell's first movie, \I Capture the Castle,"" filters into several unique elements-a picturesque landscape, a medieval castle, an eccentric family and a young romance. The combination of these elements gives the movie a fairy-tale feel, but the outcome leaves audiences unsatisfied.
In 1930s England, the Mortmain family moves into an abandoned castle, hoping the new environment will inspire Mr. Mortmain (Bill Nightly) to write another highly acclaimed novel. When 12 years go by and Mr. Mortmain has not written a single word, the rest of the Mortmain family realizes they are drowning in debt and are severely isolated from the rest of the world.
Soon their luck begins to change when two American bachelors, the rightful owners of the castle, show up to inspect the property. Mrs. Rose Mortmain (Tara Fitzgerald) decides that the best way for the family to elevate its wealth and status is to have her two step-daughters, Rose (Rose Byrne) and Cassandra (Romola Garai), marry Simon (Henry Thomas) and Neil Cotton (Marc Blucas), the two American bachelors. Upon seeing Simon, Rose Mortmain is convinced she will do anything in her power for him to marry her.
The movie is narrated by 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain, who soon discovers that she is not in love with Neil Cotton or with Stephen Colley (Henry Cavill), her extremely handsome childhood friend. Instead, Cassandra is in love with Simon, Rose's fianc??. Cassandra's affection for him is one of the many complicated love triangles in the movie.
The movie does not have a clear-cut or interesting plot. Rather, the love triangles propel the movie forward. One of them is completely unexpected, probably inserted to add interest and drama. Instead, it only makes the story line seem more confusing and unrealistic. Unfortunately, the love triangles end badly, which goes against the fairy-tale, happy-ending feel of the movie.
One of the few positive aspects of the movie is Garai's performance as an intelligent, awkward and love-struck teenager. Her last line, ""I love, I have loved, I will love,"" tries to recapture the feel-good tone of the movie, but at that point it seems highly unlikely. However, the exuberance in Garai's delivery and her overall performance make the film worth watching, but just barely.
