Brideshead Revisited (PG-13) **½   A rather pleasant visit
indeed -- if only we'd had more time.  Brideshead Revisited
Matthew Goode, Hayley Atwell and Ben Wishaw in Brideshead
Revisited. Photo: Nicola Dove.  By Connie Ogle, The Miami Herald
The latest film version of Evelyn Waugh's elegiac novel clocks
in at just over two hours, so purists know from the start there
will be adjustments, glossings over and bruised sensibilities.
But this new Brideshead Revisted, though imperfectly revised, is
not entirely regrettable. You would not accuse it of subtlety,
but you wouldn't turn away in anguish, either. In a smart move,
the film seems to be aimed not at faithful fans but at an
audience with no memory of the classic 1981 miniseries, which
starred Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews and created something
of a sensation. This Brideshead, directed by Julian Jarrold
(Becoming Jane, Kinky Boots), is far less nuanced and takes a
few painful liberties, but the film looks ravishing, and a
couple of world-class performances