Review of Brideshead Revisited (2008) by Timothy H — 10 Feb 2009

Taking a classic book by Evelyn Waugh and turning it into a film would always generate its critics. For me, Evelyn Waugh novels are like a pair of old shoes, there is something comforting when you slip then on. I was therefore interested how Hollywood would treat such an English institution.

Overall I thought there was a good story line and as true to the book; that is, for a film that needs a return on investment (ROI). In the book, the familyâ??s religious beliefs and the â??male bondingâ?? are subtler in the film they become central to the character development and power play. As like many US films the plot is explained in the dialogue, a minor irritant, but maybe I am the only person that finds this patronising.

The film does paint a wonderful picture of life in England between the wars, with steam trains, period cars and even, in the dialogue at the end, a nod to the forth-coming Labour landslide which was some 10 years after the setting of this film.