I capture the castle (Romola Garai)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s over twenty years since we watched the DVD of the film ‘I capture the castle’. I remembered that it was based on a book by Dodie Smith, and that it involved a writer who wasn’t writing. I also recalled that he got locked in a room by his children. But that’s all I could remember of it.

I had no idea until we started watching that the father in question is played - brilliantly - by Bill Nighy. He is perfect for the role, with the typical balance of grumpiness and kindness that this actor often displays. However the real star is 17-year-old Cassandra (Romola Garai), one of his daughters, who narrates the story, while writing it in her notebooks. 

We learn from flashbacks that her father published a novel twelve years before the story begins, and it was a major success. But he had a bad temper, and was in prison for a while; we only learn later what happened. Cassandra thinks they were a happy family when she was young, and recalls the day they saw a somewhat tumbledown castle, and decided that they would live there.

Twelve year on, and their mother has died. Rose (Rose Byrne), who I think was the oldest of the three children (it’s never made clear) is quite attractive and glamorous, and hates the poverty in which they’re living. Thomas (Joe Sowerbutts) must be about fifteen although he looks rather younger, and is rather nerdy. Cassandra tries to keep everyone on an even keel, encouraging her father to keep writing, convinced that eventually he will produce another masterpiece.

There’s a stepmother, too, called Topaz (Tara Fitzgerald) who is an artist. She gets along well with her stepchildren, and also feels that, one day, her husband will succeed. But life day to day is difficult, and Rose is starting to despair of ever meeting a young man. 

Then two Americans move to the area - it turns out that they are the owners of the castle. The family is two years out of date with the rent, but the young men are quite taken with the two young girls - or they are at first, until Rose goes out of her way to be flirtatious and puts them off. There’s some humour; not enough to make us laugh but we smiled a few times.  

It’s a bit of a strange story, with a lot of caricaturing; only Cassandra feels quite realistic, but then we’re supposedly seeing everyone else through her eyes. And she, too, is beginning to take an interest in men. Stephen, the lad who has worked for them for some years, without pay (Henry Cavill) is her best friend, but he would like to be a lot more than that. She finds him attractive, but knows she’s not in love with him.

There are a few scenes in Cassandra’s imagination, which are both poignant and (at times) amusing. There are some slightly unexpected nude scenes too - nothing sexual, and only the top is shown, but it surprises me that the rating is only PG as I would have expected at least 12, although there’s almost no bad language, no violence, and no scenes of intimacy.  The United States has gone to the other extreme, rating it R.

It’s over fifteen years since I read the book ‘I capture the castle’ on which this film is based, but as far as I can tell it’s fairly true to the original. It would have been written for teenagers, originally; perhaps older ones as it’s essentially a coming-of-age story, albeit set in the 1930s. There’s a lot of classism and some cultural confusion or misunderstandings, which are somewhat amusing but also probably typical of the era (albeit exaggerated).

I liked the way that love and physical attraction are contrasted, and that Cassandra is a person of principles without being in any way a prude.  Rose, by contrast, is quite willing to sacrifice her feelings for the sake of wealth - or so it seems. But despite being very different, the two are close to each other, and there are some moving scenes when they share secrets or discuss their general lack of social skills.

Overall, we liked this film and hope it won’t be another twenty years before we see it again. 

There's one interesting 'extra' on our DVD: an interview with Romola Garai, who talks about her experiences making the film. 

Review copyright 2026 Sue's DVD Reviews