TL;DR – A delightfully charming film, filled with camaraderie, humour, and exquisite performances
Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.
Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.
Sense and Sensibility Review Introduction
One of the bonuses of this job is that you experience a full range of classic literature that you missed growing up because your school picked different titles, such as One Flew Over a Cuckoo’s Nest, or there was one English teacher who made the thought of doing literature a non-starter. This is how I have discovered the joys of such classics as Emma, Little Women, Murder on the Orient Express, and Wuthering Heights. Okay, some more than others. However, today, I get to add to this as we dive back to the era of Jane Austen with all its pomp and circumstance.
So, to set the scene, tragedy has struck the Dashwood family as their father Henry has passed away, and after some prodding from his wife Fanny (Stacy Martin), John (Tom Brooke), Henry’s son, has decided not to financially support his stepmother (Caitríona Balfe), or half-sisters Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones), Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles), or Margaret (Bodhi Rae Breathnach). Thankfully, a distant relative, Mrs Jennings (Fiona Shaw), has announced that Sir John Middleton (Turlough Convery) has heard of their plight and offered them a cottage in Devon that they could move into for a low rent. This is a big change for all the girls, but with all change, there is frustration and opportunities. Some of those opportunities may be potential suitors, including the shy Edward Ferrars (George MacKay), the distant Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nordrum), and the far too forward John Willoughby (Frank Dillane). This could be a source of much relief for the family, or possibly much pain.
