dairwendan
Basil, based on the Wilkie Collins novel, has little of the novel in it. In the novel, John Mannion is a man in his forties who is completely calm at all times and intrigues Basil, as a mystery. Basil's brother, Ralph, is an ambassador and quite a playboy. Clara is Basil's younger sister. The Julia character, called Margaret in the book, is an innocent, but spoiled girl. Basil has finished college and is of age. The agreement with Mr. Sherwin is to keep the marriage a secret for a full year. The book is generally regarded as a classic Victorian pot boiler. It may be, but I prefer the movie. I like the inclusion of Basil's imaginary masked man stories as a child. In having already exiled Ralph, we see clearly what the father will do if he finds out about the relationship between Basil and Julia. Mannion here is a worldly, genial friend to Basil, introducing him to smoking cigars and talk of sex. He seems to be Basil's salvation. Clara being a child taken in by Basil's parents rather than a sibling seems contrived only for one scene, but it doesn't detract that she is not his sister. Basil, being only 20, and still at college, makes it far more believable that he would not suspect those around him of being anything but honest and honorable. The idea that the relationship must be kept secret for only three months makes the story move along faster and is more believable. The incident Basil sees as a child, involving his father, makes his Father's talk of family pride ring false. In the book Basil insists that his father is a good man, though blatantly classist, and cold to his children. In the movie, we know that he is not as good as he wants people to think.Basil's having to do manual labor, and being shocked at the pittance he gets for it is still a social issue and one Collins did not address. The inclusion of the child shows Basil to be a much more honorable, moral and principled man in the end than his father ever was. It's an interesting movie, the acting is suited to a Victorian drama, and I enjoyed it very much.
phd_travel
This movie is based on Wilkie Collins' (author of Moonstone and Woman int White) little known 2nd novel "Basil". The story is an unexpected combination of a Victorian Gothic novel with lust, passion, betrayal, revenge and more. It comes across as more sensational and modern than one would expect from a story from the mid 1800s. I think the screenplay expanded upon the novel. The plot twists are quite startling and some aspects of the story don't make that much sense in a but it's a suspenseful and satisfying yarn to watch on screen.The filming is quite well done with atmospheric locations and sets. The cast is interesting with Jared Leto and Christian Slater both playing English characters with accents that aren't quite spot on of course. Half Italian Claire Forlani plays an English lady although she has a slightly Mediterranean look.Instead of watching another adaptation of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights give this one a chance.
cocokat_89
I give the movie "Basil" a very high 10+. I love time period films and think "Basil" is a wonderful movie. Jared Leto was fantastic in this movie. I love all of his work on the big screen, but I have to say that His portrayal as Basil in my opinion is one of his finest performances. This movie is not boring. It has a wonderful cast, wonderful story line, and the events that unfold, to a good watcher, will unfold from the very beginning. Jared Leto, Christian Slater, and Clair Forlani are just magnificent in this film. It's very tastefully done, and the scenery is beautiful. Proper in it's time, but still society itself was not at all proper. Aristicratic life was very demanding, and to this day, still is. In the end, we are all the same no matter what class we are brought up in. I congratulate the performances in this movie, and I would love to see more movies like "Basil" on the big screen. I highly recommend "Basil" to anyone who loves period films. Thank you.
IrisNo11
I was disappointed in this film. I was hoping for something interesting or remarkable to happen later on, but it really didn't happen. Yet I do give credit for Jared Letto. He did a great job in this film, but the film itself is so boring!
AD
