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SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (1995) *****
It`s a great film.
I love such films which take place in the old England in the 19th
century. I find these films very fascinating and interesting. Besides it`s a
splendid star-cast. This film shows the life how the people lived in the 19th
century and how the law treated the women.
The head of the
Dashwood family, Mr. Henry Dashwood, has died suddenly. Naturally because of
the law Mr. Dashwood`s son from a previous marriage gets the whole inheritance.
His stepmother Mrs. Dashwood (Jones) and her three daughters
Elinor (Thompson), Marianne (Winslet) and Magaret (Francois)
gets nothing. But nevertheless John Dashwood (Fleet) has promised
his father that he yearly pays for his stepmother`s keep. But John`s wife Fanny
(Walter) is very snobbish and avaricious, so she doesn`t want
that John pays anything, and so the Dashwood women get too little money to
survive.
Fortunately the
cousin of Mrs. Dashwood, Sir John Middleton (Hardy) offers them a
"cottage" on his estate. Before they leave for Middleton`s estate, Fanny`s
brother Edward Ferrars (Grant) arrives for a visit. Elinor falls
in love with Edward, but unsure with her feelings, she lets him go to London
without a word about her love to him. But at the cottage Marianne meets two
men. First the dashing and rarkish John Willoughby (Wise) and the
outwardly staid but deeply-principled Colonel Christopher Brandon (Rickman),
who loves Marianne in a deep and most unrequited way - as unrequited as Elinor
loves Edward. Over the next two hours you see a lot of twists between the
families and friends.
It`s a great film
and it`s based on a great novel by Jane Austin. The title Sense and Sensibility
is typical for the sisters Elinor and Marianne. Sense stands for Elinor and
sensibility stands for Marianne. (The
German title is stupid: "Sinn und Sinnlichkeit"!)
My favourite
character is Colonel Brandon. Alan Rickman plays him excellent. I think he can
play characteristic film-parts very good. He is also one of my favourite
actors. Of course Hugh Grant plays a convincing and a little bit absent-minded
Edward Ferrars. I think it`s also a typical film-part for Hugh Grant. Kate
Winslet is a passionate, intusiastic and casual Marianne. She and the also
casual Greg Wise as Willoughby break the rules, because they show their
feelings. But the strong and sensible Elinor who plays Emma Thompson is afraid
to show her feelings. She means she is the oldest sister and she has to do all
things for the family. So she nearly gambles away her good luck!
Of course some
scenes are nearly too kitschy, but nevertheless I give this film five stars out
of five.
