|
|
Rating:  - good but not great
The script is competent (of course) but not inspired. The attempts to "improve" on the original are unsuccessful and occasionally absurd (the opening seduction scene and the duel). You mess with Miss Austin at your peril. A cast of good actors doing a great job doesn't hide the fact that many have faces that do not fit, altho' Hattie Morahan makes a terrific Elinor and Lucy Boynton is good as Margaret. The production values are up to the BBC's usual high standard, but I rate this version well behind those of 1981(BBC) and 1995 (Emma Thomson).
The product includes "Miss Austin Regrets", where JA nearing middle age is called upon to give advice on men, love and marriage to her young niece Fanny, a theme too slender to carry a whole film. Pity we weren't given more of JA's earlier life. A missed opportunity, but much better than the dire "Becoming Jane".
The extras are excellent: a commentary (apparently, I couldn't play it), a good (if short) photo gallery, an entertaining interview with Andrew Davies and producer Anne Pivcevic and especially an audio narration ("Remembering Jane Austin") of JA's life, based on the memoir of her nephew J.E. Austin-Leigh (the only Austin biographer who actually knew her).
The discs are housed in a strong folder, one disc in each side (probably the best way of presenting a 2-disc set that I've seen), with an attractive photo on front. Unfortunately this is the only good thing to say about the DVD presentation, which is entirely slipshod. There is not only advertising but the "coming" and "seen previously" slots have been retained. This puerile device is bad enough on telly, but is completely useless on a DVD,and should have been edited out with the inter-episode credits. The scene selection for "Miss Austin Regrets" is in the extra features (weird) and the audio play would be improved with some onscreen images (perhaps of scenes from Jane's life).
I give the audio item 4 stars, the films 3 stars each and the DVD presentation 1 star.
Rating:  - Another Old Man in Love with Jane Austen
I believe a great literary work is about more than the surface story of it. Sense and Sensibility is such a story. The timeless undercurrents of the human conditions of that time and place flow from this classic as steadily as it did two-hundred years ago. The first time I picked up the book, I read all night to finish it. This latest dvd is the third version of the story I own and for now my favorite. The English actors are wonderfully cast and several surprisingly close to the pictures in my imagination. I'm a lonely old man, but when I watch this dvd, my lost love sits with me and holds my hand.
Rating:  - Charming
This is a very well done adapation of my favorite Jane Austen novel. I thought Hattie Morahan hit the role of Elinor perfectly and she had great chemistry with Dan Stevens as Edward Ferrars. I fell in love with Charity Wakefield by the end of the series and I hope to see more of her in the future. The production quality of the series was also very well done for a made-for-tv production, but then BBC usually does a good job. I highly recommend this wonderful mini series to everyone.
Rating: - More BBC excellence
Finally got around to purchasing this set, and how great it is. Hattie Morahan is striking as Elinor, the casting and performances all excellent, the settings as sumptuous and nuanced as you'd expect from a period drama. Andrew Davies has cornered the market and deserves a Lifetime Achievement Award at this point. What really grabbed me is the addition of Miss Austen Regrets. My heart got ripped out of my backside at several intervals, not that I necessarily minded. It's just incredibly real, so well-acted that you lose yourself deep within the emotions of it. It dispelled any romanticized notions about Jane's life, the Regency period, or a woman's place in society. I used to joke around that The Age of Innocence was a horror film, but Miss Austen Regrets will really get to you. I'm glad to see so many adaptation alumni in it (at least four), particularly Olivia Williams.
Rating: - Not a solid production, but still very nice.
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 *****
|
|