Sense and Sensibility revisited

Eleanor and Marianne

 I own the fact that I adored Ang Lee’s 1995 adaptation , with the gloriously amusing and heartbreaking Emma Thompson leading the charge. Of course Thompson was far too old for the role but she made it her own , as did Alan Rickman as the weary Colonel Brandon, an unlikely suitor to Kate Winslet’s Marianne.

It would be unfair of me to list all what was bad in this recent remake by Georgia Oakley, suffice to say that cinematographer Arnaud Poitier chose to film the whole piece with drab subdued colours, the antithesis of Lee’s Chocolate box version. 

Colonel Brandon 

I shall however underline what I DID like about this version .

The character of Marianne ( played by Esmé Creed Miles) was more flighty and fickle than Winslet’s Cupid’s bow version, I believed it more when her affections changed towards Colonel Brandon ( played rather well by the Norwegian actor ( Herbert Nordrum) and I loved how Nordrum gave the Colonel a sudden rush of temper and menace towards the sneering Willoughby( Frank Dillane), it made him rather dangerous and ever so sexy, unlike his 1995’s character) 

Mrs Jennings

Fiona Shaw recreated the wonderfully overblown Elizabeth Spriggs ( Mrs Jennings) wonderfully and gave this film its only real humour which was unfortunate as Fanny Dashwood, mr Palmer and  Sir John  were great comic asides in the “ original”

I enjoyed it, I must say It was worthy but a touch bland ,and I must also admit the choreography at the ball was abysmal if not bizarre . 

Bring back Thompson I say