We’ve come to the final movie of the Valentine’s Marathon. My schedule has been sporadic and I even skipped a fun post yesterday but I’m taking this as a Valentine’s weekend of sorts so I might have a morphed up mash-up post later on today. The problem is that I have a million ideas and I can’t do it without bombarding you with posts and I don’t like to do that. Regardless, lets get this last one done!
I had to make some serious decisions about this one. On one hand, I wanted to see a few Netflix choices but I also received my package of Amazon a few days ago. I finished Sense and Sensibility (the book) a few days ago and I just had to get the movie and it came in a timely fashion. I also ordered another movie recommended to me for this marathon which I promise to watch soon but I just couldn’t resist the urge to wrap up this marathon with Sense and Sensibility.
Let’s check it out! 🙂
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (1995)
Director: Ang Lee
Cast: Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Alan Rickman, Imelda Staunton, Hugh Laurie
When their rich father Mr. Dashwood dies, he leaves his fortune to his son while making him promise to treat his three half-sister in his second marriage well and help in whatever way they could. However, under his wife’s influence, he ends up leaving them with close to nothing. The two eldest daughters, Elinor and Marianne, are at the age of marriage and its then despite the opposite personality, one emotionally reserved ruled by sense while the other full of romantic sensibility respectively, they find their love and fall into similar fates.
Sense and Sensibility is a wonderful adaptation of the novel. If anything, because I didn’t enjoy Sense and Sensibility as much as Jane Austen’s later novels (that I’ve read), I may actually have enjoyed the movie more. There is no shame in admitting that especially when its full of a talented cast. Last year, on Valentine’s Day, in a mish-mash post, I confessed that I have a massive girl crush on Kate Winslet and she is extremely darling in this one. I watch a little less of Emma Thompson normally but I love everything that she does. She fully immerses herself in a role and just owns it every single time. Both of them as Marianne and Elinor respectively are fantastic. What I really do love most about these movies is the music: so elegant, beautiful, sweet. And I don’t even think it has to do with the fact that I love piano music because thats the instrument I play 🙂
You know how sometimes adaptation have this really ridiculous casting choices and you can’t even picture that person you read on those beautiful pages as this person on the big screen? Its not the case here. I agreed with the choice of Marianne and Elinor, as I mentioned above. The moment Greg Wise (who I know nothing about) popped on the screen as Willoughby, I was completely convinced. This guy who bashes in Marianne’s affection and attention but shows no restraint to his emotions even if he can’t really be the one. He is charming and handsome and his character is kind of sad in the end. Although they cut out the scene I thought was pretty important between Willoughby and Elinor, they did a fabulous job of putting to life is character.
Willoughby would not be as charming if we didn’t have the contrast of Colonel Brandon, same as Marianne to Elinor. Alan Rickman is the perfect perfect person to play this role. He can pull off that really unromantic person with hidden emotions but still kind of show his intentions in this quiet subtle way. Thats the power of Alan Rickman because he is just so talented. Honestly, Colonel Brandon is one of those characters who I love a lot in Sense and Sensibility. He just deserves everything he desires because he’s such an honorable man, probably the most honorable in the story.
I kind of feel bad that I only took one paragraph to talk about the ladies while taking three to talk about the men. Hugh Grant takes on Edward Ferrars, which is a role with rather little on screen time but has such an important role. He literally has 3 actual phases in the story and its the same as the book in that sense. Sure he’s sprinkled and we hear about whats going on. There is no doubt that Hugh Grant was a great choice for Edward Ferrars and he really does a good job. I mean, that ending scene with Marianne really defines his character a lot. I read the book so I know what he does.
I love this adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. I actually think reading Austen before I watch it, made me appreciate this more even if I believe I ended up enjoying my movie experience a little more. Still, because it was so fresh in my mind, the dialogue is really true to the book and thats also something I appreciate. With an incredible cast, Sense and Sensibility is a brilliant watch bringing Jane Austen’s characters to life one by one. That is no small feat but Ang Lee does it and the cast themselves as well 🙂 I highly recommend this one!
Have you seen or read Sense and Sensibility? What are your thoughts?
Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!
Remember, I have a finale post coming up later today (or tonight since I’m out of town for a day trip)!
Tranquil Dreams 