The presence of Marc Blucas (known in Buffyworld as "Old Potato Nose") makes this film inferior to any Merchant/Ivory production and most of Masterpiece Theatre. Blucas is always a block of wood, and here, with his corn-fed voice and face, is severely miscast. As always, Bill Nighy is wonderful — endlessly interesting during his too-brief appearances. We believe in his dedication to his art — if he could only practice it — and in his rage at himself as failed writer, failed husband, and failed father. The young women are negligible: is the tired diary-narrative convention meant as the writer's coming-to-art? If so, she needs lessons in plot- and character-construction. Two young women, two young men: It worked for Shakespeare, but despite the presence of the eponymous castle, helps neither the screenplay nor us. Isolation and shabby gentility relieved by marriage; writer's block relieved by a silly strategy unworthy of Nighy's character and performance? I watched for Nighy (as I watch Love, Actually); he's the brooding presence throughout the film, but notwithstanding, I'd like my two hours back.

A more modern Jane Austen type story of sisters without money and finding love. The countryside setting is charming and it is beautifully filmed.The acting is good. The casting is good. Rose Byrne is pretty. Romola Garai acts well for a difficult complex role. The other supporting cast are good too. Sinead Cusack is an odd choice for an American. Henry Thomas looks a bit puffy. The ending is more modern than Jane Austen in that it is not one of those typical feel good endings but it is slightly sad for the same reason. It is about realistic love not fairytale love.This is worth watching for an unusual story and . Just a bit depressing at the end. The nudity was not necessary for the movie if they had left it out more people might have been able to see this movie.

After reading the novel, I am usually disappointed by the screenplay, but not in this case.The story is preserved and is magical in this film. Romola Garai is brilliant as the young Cassandra, but all of the characters are strongly played.The soundtrack is fitting, and the settings work well. The characters traits develop smoothly and interact believably. This, to me is proof that with a great storyteller/writer, cast and director, time and care; something true to itself can be produced.I just wish there were more films made to this standard.

This has always been one of my favourite books. I was thrilled when I saw that the book had been made into a movie, for the first time since it was written, over 50 years before.I think Romola Garai is brilliant as Cassandra, but it is a shame that some of the dialogue she is given just does not compare well with the book. Bill Nighy did not seem to be the right actor for James Mortmain, who I think is more of a stiff-upper-lip type, not so artsy as Nighy portrays him - Mortmain has written a book but it's a scholarly work.I know a book has to change when it becomes a movie, but I missed characters like the romantically-minded school teacher and the dressmaker's dummy that Cassandra "brings to life". I also miss details like Topaz and Rose having long blonde hair (described beautifully in the opening pages of the book) and Thomas being 15 - so not quite as precocious as he appears to be in the movie.The movie captures some of the book's charm: the castle, the countryside, Cassandra's emotions, but I felt it was unnecessary to make up a particular scene between Cassandra and her father (I think this was done to accommodate Nighy's acting style) and I was really disappointed by the ending, where Cassandra seemingly lets go of her love, writing it off as a general experience, rather than declaring her love, as she does in the book, and her hope that the man she loves will return.