Really Surprised!

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

This movie is ideal for the task of escapism, immersion, the transformation of one's mood.The film has the perfect combination of giddy happiness and stabs of sadness. It achieves this because it forces the audience to CARE ABOUT THE CHARACTERS. A vital ingredient which film directors neglect all too often. Of course this compelling quality is thanks to the inspired writer Dodie Smith, but it takes a keenly in tuned director to animate a writer's vision on screen.The cast was picked because the actors were SUITED TO THEIR CHARACTERS. Again a vital ingredient neglected all too often. I despise watching an insipid actress who has been chosen because she is pals with the director. Both Romola Garai and Rose Byrne not only suited Cassandra and Rose, but also suited being sisters. The chemistry between all characters in this movie was believable, from Cassy desperately longing for Simon to view her as more than a silly child to her dealing with growing jealousy of her beautiful sister.If one is ever homesick for england as Dodie Smith was when she wrote the novel, this is the movie to turn to for refuge. It transports the viewer to scenes that could only be England. Green meadows, crumbling castles with damp walls, the need to wear wool en socks in bed, the excitement of venturing into London.A fascinating look at the age seventeen where one feels like they are forty, but are treated as if twelve and are being told that the passion they are feeling is mere fantasy.

An eccentric and well-born English family in the 1930's tries to cope with genteel poverty, while the two stunning teenage daughters of the family experiment with passion and romance. Main thing you need to know: Romola Garai is not only lovely, she's an acting genius. Her fresh, innocent blond beauty rivets your attention, and she hits the right note in every scene -- curious, defiant, tender, lonely, confused, caring. She not only hits the right note, she often hits two or three right notes at once. Watch her animated facial expressions and you'll see she always gives you more than one emotionThe problem with this movie is that it tries to be too many things. One minute it's a sexy teen romance, like DIRTY DANCING (which also starred Romola Garai.) Then it's cerebral satire of long-forgotten intellectual types, like COLD COMFORT FARM. Then it's some kind of Masterpiece Theater type thing about newly rich Americans in England, and what fools they are for European elegance. Derivative themes and a thin plot with too many familiar stereotypes. There are too many supporting characters, and aside from the luminous Romola Garai none of them are especially sympathetic. Marc Blucas was pretty good in JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB. Here he shows more muscle-power than talent. Henry Thomas is getting too old to be playing boyish and innocent. Bill Nighy as the eccentric dad has some authentic moments, but was a better patriarch in UNDERWORLD. ("Lycans, daughter. The lycans took my talent. Lucan and his kind . . spoiled my taste for f-f-f-fiction!")There is one extremely interesting sub-plot about a local village lad the heroine thinks of as a friend, who worships her and is rejected. In an unexpected twist, a wealthy older woman seduces him and takes him to London, where he becomes a successful actor/model. The film handles this in a sensitive way, neither pitying the young man nor condemning him for giving in to his wealthy female protector. Unfortunately, this most interesting sub plot is only given a few minutes of screen time. Summing up, then, this movie is something you must see only if you are a fan of the phenomenally talented Romola Garai. Other than that, it's really a hit or miss movie, and some parts are very thin.

Haven't seen such a beautifully portrayed romantic film in years! Of course Romola Garai(Cassandra)was great and more so charming; but so was Rose Byrne(Rose)detestable! What I mean to say is that the actress (I mean Byrne)is someone to lookout for. Because in both her films, this one and'Wicker Park', she's made audiences truly hate her respective characters. Whereas, in 'Troy', you fall in love with this damsel-in-distress kinda princess! But the reason I liked this movie was that all the actors did justice to their roles. The father is played just fine. And the stepmother is not the prototype abusive one; she's good to the girls. And the sibling rivalry as well as the bond of love between them is grippingly enacted. My Best of Luck to Romola and Rose!

I found this film to be a disappointing and confusing adaptation of a lovely book. The book is quite long and involved, so I was looking forwards to see which threads were omitted to make the film. Actually, most of the book is included in the film, but so superficially that much of the meaning is lost. Sort of spoiler coming up now... The sense of "the incident" between Cassandra's parents is completely altered from the book, and there is a brand new and utterly ludicrous scene between Cassandra and her father, which implies that the person adapting the book hadn't actually read it properly.If you've read and enjoyed the book, I suggest you avoid the film. If you've watched and enjoyed the film, I suggest you avoid the book.