We were really pleased to be able to watch the new film adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel: Sense and Sensibility, on its release day.
I wasn't sure what to expect. I love the novel, and the 1995 film adaptation is one of my all time favourite films. So, a new adaptation sounded interesting, but it certainly has big shoes to fill.
Overall I enjoyed the film. I thought that Daisy Edgar-Jones was the stand out actor in her role as Elinor Dashwood. There were some strange moments, especially the duel and some odd casting decisions.
I find myself agreeing with the Guardian's review "but this turns out to be a more downbeat, ruminative version, happening in much cloudier weather than 30 years ago and without the sugar-rush final wedding scene. The mood is cooler, but interestingly austere, sober and thoughtful."
The scenes are all very dark, mostly lit by candlelight.; there are very few outdoor scenes. The music was lovely, but not up there with the 1995 Patrick Doyle score. We loved this music so much that we had some of it at our wedding!
Overall, a really enjoyable few hours, but rather more ponderous than I had hoped. Maybe every generation needs its own adaptation of Jane Austen. Maybe this adaptation holds a mirror up to today's society and tells us more about ourselves than is comfortable. I think Jane Austen would have been happy (mostly).