Arts & Entertainment | Brideshead Revisited (PG) |
 BRIDESHEAD REVISITED (PG) Starring Matthew Goode, Ben Whishaw Directed by Julian Jarrold “If you asked me who I am, only with certainty could I say my name”. Sebastian Flyte is a piece of grit around which the pearl of Brideshead Revisited was born, Evelyn Waugh’s painful examination of the loss of innocence. In his first year at Oxford, Charles Ryder befriends Flyte, the somewhat festive, teddy bear toting aristocrat. Despite vastly differing backgrounds and a proximity many would frown upon, the boys become firm friends. Charles offered Sebastian escape from a religiously conservative, dominating mother. Sebastian offers Charles access to a world beyond his dreams. Did I mention they fall in love? Jarrold’s robust production coaxes considerable warmth out of the story’s cold heart. For despite its evergreen hue of 1930’s England, Bridshead Revisited is a sorry tale of conflict between family, sexuality and God. Despite exhortations that “drinking is not a hobby,” sadly it is and one that turns Charles towards his friend’s sister as Sebastian falls, irretrievably, from grace. Whishaw’s nuanced performance captures Flyte’s grief stricken complexity with painful ease. Likewise Emma Thompson who, as the family’s insufferable matriarch, is riveting. Jarrold’s commendable effort, despite an inclination toward pulling emotional punches, makes good use of a superior story, a strong script and sumptuous design that creates a rich cinema experience. - Colin Fraser |