Movie Reviews for Sense & Sensibility (with Miss Austen Regrets) (BBC TV 2008)

Sense & Sensibility (with Miss Austen Regrets) (BBC TV 2008)

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Movie Reviews of Sense & Sensibility (with Miss Austen Regrets) (BBC TV 2008)

Movie Review: Not a solid production, but still very nice.
Summary: 3 Stars

Sense and Sensibility is about two sisters, who seem lucky, and very unlucky in love it seems. When their father dies, the Dashwood family (composed of Ms. Dashwood, and her three daughters) are forced to leave their beautiful Manor, and forced to live in a small cottage. Despite this, two of the sisters find love, and doomed love. Elinor Dashwood, the elder, falls for a rich young man; but tied down by social restraints, cannot have him. Marianne Dashwood, falls for a libertine of a man, whom is known to have had many other women...and might even have fathered a child. What will these two sisters do when they realize they cannot have the men they love?

Sense and Sensibility got much notoriety when it was made into a movie in 1995, starring; Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, and Emma Thompson. It was a charming feature; but faced many flaws. Characters were not the correct ages, the film seemed a bit too light in places, and many things were omitted. Still, it was a great movie. When there was going to be a remake, many were shocked. Who would have the audacity to redo such a wonderful film?? Masterpiece Theater that's who. The charming British company has put out many Jane Austen remakes; Pride and Prejudice, Emma, just to name a few.

Let's see how the new cast ranks against the old one, shall we?

Hattie Morahan takes Emma Thompson's prized role; playing the eldest sister, Elinor Dashwood. While Elinor is the calmer of the three sisters, and obviously the most plainest, Hattie plays her with a certain charm, that makes Elinor much more then a 'simple' girl. While Thompson played Elinor nicely, she was much too old for the film. Hattie is the perfect age, and often rivals Thompson's near perfect performance.

Charity Wakefield takes Titanic leading star, Kate Winslet's role as Marianne Dashwood. Marianne is passionate, playful, and spunky. Winslet is known to have played Marianne perfectly, so the new Marianne had some big shoes to fill....and didn't fill them....Somewhere along the road, Charity Wakefield seems to have completely thrown out Marianne's character. There is no spunk, passion, or playful Marianne. Just a very plain girl with no personality. What happened? Is my question. Miss Wakefield ruins the films near perfect cast.

David Morrissey, Dan Stevens, and Dominic Cooper play the suitors. Dan Stevens plays Hugh Grants role as Elinor's suitor; and adds much more passion then Hugh's performance. Dominic Cooper was far too cute as the Casanova who's name is; Willoughby. Greg Wise made Willoughby such a wonderful and interesting character in the beginning, and made us hate him when we saw his libertine ways. Cooper makes the role much too 'cute.' And we end up liking him much more then we should. David Morrissey plays Colonel Brandon, the man so in love with Marianne Dashwood. David does a nice job, and we certainly feel very sorry for this love sick character. But Alan Rickman played Colonel Brandon with a gentleness, that made us love him even the more.

The rest of the casting was nicely done, although as another reviewer mentioned; it was sad to not see Hugh Laurie as Mr. Palmer. It was also very odd to see Mark Williams (Mr. Weasley!) playing Sir John Middleton!

The costumes are rich, the music beautiful, and the script wonderfully done. The casting is good, though not perfect. Before I go, I must mention my disdain in the fact that Andrew Davies (the writer) seem to 'beef up' the storyline. A few steamy scenes are added; such as the dreadful seducing scene by Willoughby in the beginning. I thought I was watching the wrong movie at first!

*** out of *****

Movie Review: great
Summary: 5 Stars

i haven't read sense and sensibiliy, and i guess i should say i have no intention to, though it is a good story. i have seen the previous sense and sensibility with kate winslet though, so while i have something to hold this movie up to, i don't have the original story under my belt and can't compare one to the other.

i thought this movie did a great job. the previous movie had a good cast and was well done, but i'd have to say that i think i like this one more. the cinematography really drew you into the story and made the story line so much more realistic and palpable. at the beginning i wasn't too sure about it as there were a lot of wierd angles, like they were trying to create one of those weird art movies (which i love.. and that'd actually be a great project) but after the first 5- 10 minutes the story and presentation became less choppy and more, well i guess real. and because of this i think, i felt i knew the sister's better than i did from watching the other movie, even though i've watched that one several times and this one only once. they just got it right. the lighting, the angles... there were some points in the movie where they just got a really pretty shot of one of the actresses and i'd just stop and think, wow she looks really pretty there, and then the story would continue. the scenery was beautiful as well. my favourite shot scenery wise is when marianne is sitting by the stream reading and there's that little waterfall.

i enjoy the people cast for the previous movie and think they're good at what they do, but i think this cast better suits the characters (though winslet played a really great marrianne). i felt the relationships a bit more, and the situational misfortune a lot more. both movies are good though, and both should be seen. this one does a lot more for me visually though.

Movie Review: enjoyable!
Summary: 5 Stars

To all the good what was already said in the above about the wonderful action, charming actors and scenery, perfectly fitted costumes and the motion so close to the book and its characters and story, I wish to add that this piece was printed and edited absolutely fine! The DVD box actually looks like a book with the bright and colorfull hardcover. The perfect decoration for the perfect movie. Enjoyable!

Movie Review: I loved it in spite of myself
Summary: 5 Stars

Continuing the inevitable comparisons with the 1995 film with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslett (which I truly loved, and thought definitive), here goes:
These actors are all nearer the correct ages, and so many aspects of the plot have become more believable.
Several scenes and characters left out of the 1995 have been triumphantly reinstated
There is much more subtext and development of the key relationship between Elinor and Edward Ferrars; rather than being cold sticks (which Hugh Grant pretty much was in the 1995 film, and, his character barely appeared at all), their thwarted love and senses of duty are dramaticaly enhanced--their characters will never die of broken hearts, and yet one feels all the more sorry for their noble near-sacrifices and resignation to lost love.
The scenery that is Devonshire brings home the idea that this family of women have, through no fault of their own, become banished into
a "middle of nowhere" location with no prospects of society, wealth, or
husband material.
Janet McTeer as "Mama" is the right age, and plays the perfect balance between the cossetted new widow who is brought into bewildering poverty due to the neglect of her late husband, and a survivor who still hopes to see her daughters well situated in life.
The DVD package includes an option to hear commentary on the film from the actors and the director, which was good, and the bonus film
"Miss Austen Regrets."