ShareThisSex, religion and Anglophilia never seem to go out of style, making "Brideshead Revisited" a perfect target for visiting or revisiting.Director Julian Jarrold's new film version of the 1945 novel by Evelyn Waugh may be of interest primarily to fans of the acclaimed 1981 miniseries based on the same source, but it's clearly constructed to appeal to a younger audience as well. Not only is the 135-minute running time more palatable to short-attention-span viewers than the TV series' 11 episodes (totaling 659 minutes), but the film features a talented trio of rising young British stars.It's unlikely that Matthew Goode, Ben Whishaw and Hayley Atwell will get the kind of career boosts from the film that Jeremy Irons did from the miniseries, but their performances are certain to work in their favor."Brideshead Revisited" is framed as a reminiscence. Charles Ryder (Goode), an officer in the British army during World War II, finds himself encamped at Brideshead, a grand estate he first got to know as a university student.Cue flashback. Middle-class Charles is in his first year at Oxford when he meets Lord Sebastian Flyte (Whishaw). Though Charles is warned of Sebastian's decadence, he's fascinated by the teddy-bear-toting young man, and they become friends.The relationship has possibly more feeling on Sebastian's side, but Charles is devoted to his chum. Their relationship becomes more complicated when Charles spends a summer with Sebastian and his sister, Julia (Atwell), at Brideshead, whose architecture and art bedazzle aspiring painter Charles.Charles, an atheist, is confounded at times by the behavior of the family, ruled by Lady Marchmain (Emma Thompson), a devout Catholic. Sebastian and Julia seem unable to escape the guilt that their religion foists upon them as they waver between desire and duty.Though Jarrold's film is unable to revel in the detail of the wonderful miniseries, it doesn't shortchange the audience. Screenwriters Jeremy Brock and Andrew Davies do a fine job of addressing the story's conflicts and dramatic necessities while making the film feel lived-in and not rushed.Jarrold ("Becoming Jane") weaves a rich tapestry of passion, betrayal, happiness and disappointment. Goode, Whishaw and Atwell are all easy on the eyes, but what most impresses about them is their ability to reveal depths in a limited amount of time. Thompson and Michael Gambon, as the long-absent lord of the manor, bring even more complexity to the scene."Brideshead Revisited" is a telling portrayal of humans and their sense of fate and free will.Rated PG-13 for some sexual content.Four stars (out of five).(Contact Knoxville News Sentinel film critic Betsy Pickle at pickle(at)knews.com.)
'Brideshead Revisited' doesn't shortchange audience
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