Movie review: "Brideshead Revisited" (2008)

The gist: Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode) is a young man of small means, some artistic talent and considerable ambition. At Oxford, he falls in with Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw), a party boy of old money and titles, who invites him home to Brideshead. Charles ingratiates himself into the family, but resisting the advances of Sebastian and pursuing his hot sis Julia (Hayley Atwell) brings him into conflict with matriarch Lady Marchmain (Emma Thompson).

Selling points: Period drama pomp. An interesting setting – the uncertain period between the World Wars. The religious conlict between atheist Ryder and the staunchly Catholic Flytes.

It's kinda like: Evelyn Waugh's 1945 novel and the 1981 TV series, hilariously enough. This'll take up far fewer hours of your life, but at 135 minutes still qualifies as epic.

Final word: Worth revisiting.

[Australian cinema release date: October 20]