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Sense and Sensibility Customer Reviews (73 - 75 of 85 Reviews)

Jane Austen would be proud
Emma Thompson not plays a lead character, but has written a brilliant screenplay adapted from the Jane Austen classic. The Dashwood women Elinor (Thompson), Marianne (Kate Winslet) and Mrs. Dashwood (Gemma Jones, fron "Bridget Jones' Diary") are in a mighty pickle- their father/husband has died, leaving his fortune and estate to their half-brother John (the wonderful James Fleet). The will instructs John to generously provide for his Step-Mother and half sisters, but John's greedy wife Fanny (Harriet Walter) convinces him that a yearly stipends of 500 pounds is plenty. Thus, the ladies' Dashwood are forced to move out into Mrs. Dashwood's cousin's pokey little cottage. To Fanny's dismay, her brother Edward (Hugh Grant) and Elinor have taken a shine to one another, so Fanny goes to great lengths to keep them apart. Meanwhile Marianne has fallen in love with John Willoughby (Thompson's real life husband Greg Wise), a nearby neighbor and heir to his Aunt's fortune. But all is not as it seems with Willoughby, as Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman) is all-too aware of. Brandon falls in love with Marianne, but writes the romance off as impossible, as he is much older and no competition for Willoughby's affections. But things change when Willoughby's aunt threatens to cut him off if he doesn't stop associating with the penniless Dashwoods.

The overall theme of this fascinating tale is greed and fortune vs. love and following your heart. What choice will Willoughby make? And what secret is keeping Edward from acting on his obvious affection for Elinor? A wonderful movie, with a stellar cast that seem tailor made for each character.

Sensibly artistic
I love movie adaptations of Jane Austen classics. I don't like reading her books, because they are too lengthy (eg. Mansfield Park), but watching movies based on them is a whole different story.

Ang Lee added his delicate touch to this one. The story flows on scene by scene smoothly, and he had a great cast. Emma Thompson is able to show Eleanor to be a strong-willed woman, introverted, but nevertheless sensible. Kate Winslet gave a strong performance as the impulsive, free-spirited Marianne. The contrast provided by both actresses is what drives the movie. After all, Marianne is Sense, for she relies on the senses of her heart, and Eleanor is Sensibility. Alan Rickman, as always, gives us a spectacular portrayal of the Colonel - wise and old, and deeply in love with Marianne. We feel and at the same time, comprehend his concern for Marianne, and at once, he gains our sympathy as well as respect.

Hugh Grant is disappointing as usual. I'm not a fan of Hugh, so perhaps I'm being biased here, but I find his stammering, and blinky eyes really annoying (the guy can't even speak right!). Half the time he is mumbling, and his enunciation is so poor it is hard to catch what he is saying.

If Hugh doesn't get too much on your nerves, and if you love a little bit of romance, drama, and comedy, this is definitely your cup of tea. At some points, it had me close to tears, while at others, I couldn't help but smile. I love the contrasting personalities of Charlotte and her husband, as well as the direct similarities between Charlotte and her mother, Mrs Jennings. Brilliant.

Care for a cuppa, anyone?

Fantastic adaptation of an Austen classic!
This was a beautiful movie to watch. Emma Thompson put together a wonderful screenplay and it was almost as if she had a direct connection with Jane Austen herself! No wonder she won the Academy Award! Ang Lee's direction of the film was magnificent and the entire cast brought life to a tale of family, love, and society. It is also proof that Kate Winslet was already a fine actress before the rest of the world "discovered" her in James Cameron's "Titanic".

The only other writer I know of who could do as good a job as Ms. Thompson when it comes to breathing new life to the words of a legendary literary artist is her former husband, Kenneth Branagh.

If you enjoy romance and humor with a classic twist, you should definitely rent or purchase a copy of William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" starring Branagh and Thompson. Another great film!

With a number of Oscar nominations in its name, "Sense and Sensibility" is an absolute must-see!

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