Sense and Sensibility | Dir: Georgina Oakley | ★ ★ ★ ★
Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen’s first novel, was published in 1811. The classic work of English literature satirically portrays 19th-century middle-class life through the romantic relationships of two sisters.
Following their father’s death, the Dashwood family are left with little financial security and are forced to leave their family home. Under inheritance laws of the time, the estate passes to the only male heir, a son from a previous marriage.
Mrs Dashwood (Caitríona Balfe) and her daughters Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones), Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles) and Margaret (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) must rely on the kindness of their cousin, Sir John Middleton (Turlough Convery), in Devonshire.
For the two older sisters, life centres on love and marriage. Women of the era often had to choose financial security over romantic ideals in order to survive. The passionate Marianne follows her heart, while the more reserved Elinor is careful not to let matters of the heart overwhelm her judgment.
Both sisters contend with competing suitors as reason and emotion pull them in different directions. The chemistry between the characters is compelling, and the story unfolds over 130 minutes as it moves towards a satisfying conclusion.
The film contrasts the beauty of the English countryside with the social restrictions of London. Everything is governed by formal rules, including the dances where attractions and betrayals are scrutinised by society.
Director Georgia Oakley also introduces a subplot exploring women adopting male identities to gain freedoms denied to them. Eagle-eyed viewers may spot Eliot Paulina Summer, child of Sting and producer Trudie Styler, as Mr Palmer at the house where the sisters stay after Marianne falls ill on the journey home from London.
Ang Lee’s acclaimed 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility featured an outstanding cast, including Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman and Hugh Laurie, but three decades later it is timely for a return to this world.
Oakley employs intimate close-ups to heighten the emotional experience, from sweeping rural landscapes to the grandeur of a glittering London ball. The sisters’ naturalism stands in contrast to the artificiality of those around them as they navigate and challenge the social expectations of the era.
The film opens on 15 October, but there are some advance screenings at Luna Leederville, plus Luna on SX in Fremantle and the Windsor Cinema in Nedlands have a special Sweets & Sensibili-tea screening on the release day.
Lezly Herbet
