Sense and Sensibility (1995)

best movie i've ever seen.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

RELEASED IN 1995/96 and directed by Ang Lee, "Sense and Sensibility" chronicles events in England circa 1810 after Mr. Dashwood dies and legally leaves his estate to the son by his initial wife, which leaves his second wife and their three daughters relatively destitute. This negatively affects the marriageability of both practical Elinor (Emma Thompson) and romantic Marianne (Kate Winslet). When Elinor falls for the handsome Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant) his kin object and put the kibosh on their blossoming relationship. Meanwhile, the noble but aging Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman) becomes infatuated with young Marianne, but she is interested in the dashing John Willoughby (Greg Wise). Imogen Stubbs plays the rival for Edward's interest.If you're in the mood for period piece drama/romance "Sense and Sensibility" fills the bill pretty well. It starts great, gets a tad tedious in the middle, but perks up at the end. The English locations/sets and costuming are superlative. You might want to take advantage of the subtitles to make out all the verbiage and keep track of all the names in the slightly convoluted relationship-oriented plot. In any case, it's interesting seeing Winslet before her big success with "Titanic" (1997) and Rickman playing a straight role rather than hamming-it-up as a goofy villain.THE MOVIE RUNS 136 minutes and was shot entirely in England (Devon, Norfolk, London, Wiltshire, Somerset and Cornwall, with studio work done in Shepperton). WRITERS: Jane Austen (novel) & Emma Thompson (screenplay) .GRADE: B

It's great that an author as beloved as Jane Austen has had such a great movie made in her honor. I was confused as to why there wasn't an old version of this done in the black and white days. That was done with "Jane Eyre" and "Pride And Prejudice". I'd have to say my favorite adaptations of them all is the 1943 Jane Eyre with Orson Welles. Anyway, it was weird to just see such an authentic movie. Nowadays, we're so used to films that are nothing but action or humor, but this is quite different. It makes me feel bad that it's been so long since I've read an actual novel. I think my latest one was "War And Peace". Yep, read the whole thing! I really did feel like I was reading a book while watching this movie. Alan Rickman is the most well known person here, but it should be acknowledged that every actor and actress works hard. The dialogue is what makes this so good. My favorite part might be near the beginning where they're talking about love and money. They really do discuss how you need to be aware of your finances. That's mostly where the title comes from. Sense is like logic here and sensibility is like emotion. It has a victorious ending too. It wasn't intentionally made as a period piece, but it's still a great story no matter when you set it. ***1/2

Okay, non-fan might be too strong a description; I just find it hard to get into Jane Austen, though I do enjoy Pride and Prejudice. I caught this 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility on TCM last night, solely because of Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman being present, and was shocked at how riveted I was from start to finish.Complete with handsome production values, fantastic direction from Ang Lee, lovely cinematography, and of course, the excellent performances, all make this a charming little romantic dramedy. It's also opened my eyes to just how good an actress Kate Winslet is, having had limited exposure to her until recently.Great film.

Sense and Sensibility is a remarkable period piece movie and it explores the themes of love and poverty and the connection between the two. During the nineteenth century, marriage laws very vastly different and more complicated than they are in modern times. Just because you love someone, does not mean you can marry them, as this movie makes perfectly clear. Nonetheless, this movie is a epic, sweeping romance story and it is an impressive feat, because I am not a fan of these kind of romance stories. Luckily for this film, it is far from boring and I felt for all of the main characters. Ang Lee's film is about a family whose fortunes suddenly disappeared after the death of the wealthy father/husband. Now penniless, the family is forced to find a new home. The two eldest daughters find love interests, but are conflicted because of no finances or dowries in order to provide for marriage. The acting is one of the strongest suits about the movie. Everyone does a marvelous job and made me feel for each character, whether in positive or negative terms. Emma Thompson, whom also written the movie, does a wonderful job as the logical eldest daughter, Elinor. Kate Winslet does a fine job as the second eldest daughter, the romantic Marianne. I liked Hugh Grant's dashing character, the awkward Edward. Finally, Alan Rickman does a good job as another love interest, Colonel Brandon. Overall, Sense and Sensibility is a fantastic movie and that is no surprise with Ang Lee at the helm. The film is never boring and you can feel for the characters as they desire for true love, which is nearly impossible due to nineteenth century strict laws. The themes from the classic Jane Austen movie are still here, and it gives the movie a complete feeling and scope of this time period. The costume design and the cinematography are fantastic as well. All-in-all, a fantastic period-piece romance. My Grade: A-