In a year of questionable remakes and reimaginings, such as Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Bride,” it’s not unreasonable to ask whether we needed another “Sense and Sensibility” (Focus). The answer is a reluctant yes. Why reluctant? Because, as classic “love conquers all” stories go, Jane Austen’s 215-year-old novel, on which the movie is based, is still a painful reminder of class issues, as well as the conceit that, in some cases, women remain at the mercy of men.
It’s been 31 years since Oscar-winning director Ang Lee’s version of “Sense and Sensibility” (for which Emma Thompson received an Oscar for her screenplay adaptation) played in theaters. The interpretation that queer filmmaker Georgia Oakley (2022’s lesbian drama “Blue Jean”) presents sharpens its focus on the relationship between the struggling, teenaged Dashwood sisters, Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles), in addition to the youngest, Margaret (Bodhi Rae Breathnach). Their world is disrupted following the death of their father, who has willed everything to John (Tom Brooke), his son from his first marriage. John is married to the horrible Fanny (Stacy Martin), who wants the Dashwoods displaced and their financial dependence greatly reduced.
If Fanny has one redeeming facet, it’s her hot brother Edward (George MacKay, who played gay in 2014’s “Pride”). His visit to the Norland estate, which the Dashwoods will be vacating as Johnny and Fanny take over, ignites one of the romances as the throbbing heart of the story. Marrying off eligible daughters is a central theme and both Elinor and Marianne receive the bulk of the attention in their quests for matrimony. The outspoken Marianne is also courted by the mysterious and flirtatious Willoughby (Frank Dillane), as well as the painfully awkward neighbor Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nordrum).
A trip to London taken by Elinor and Marianne, under the guidance of kooky and wealthy distant cousin Mrs. Jennings (Fiona Shaw, who walks away with every scene in which she appears), to finally find suitable matches for the women proves disastrous on various levels. However, just as all hope appears to be lost – SPOILER ALERT – a happy ending is just beyond the boulder-laden countryside.
What Oakley brings to her vision of “Sense and Sensibility” is an eye for visually captivating images. Right from the start, Oakley gives the audience the feeling that they are watching a painting come to life. The outdoor sequences are breathtaking as the landscape, whether it’s a rocky beach or a rain-soaked moor, becomes its own character. Interiors, including the various estates and cottages, as well as the dance floor of a ball, also take on a verve of their own.
Rating: B
