Sense And Sensibility A Film Review By Michael Redman Copyright 1996 By Michael Redman
*** (out of ****)
Based on Jane Austen's book and adapted by Emma Thompson (who also stars), this is a tale of romance in the England of horse-drawn carriages and country manors.
Occasionally there is talk of "women's films" and "men's films": movies that are aimed at one gender or the other. Most of the time these designations are over-stated and the films are usually equally enjoyable by both. Every once and a while there appears a story that resonates much more with one sex: some buddy films, "The Bridges Of Madison County" and others. "Sense And Sensibility" is definitely a women's film.
Not being of that particular gender, much of the film meandered by for me. I didn't participate as the women of the audience audibly voiced their approval or lack thereof as each new man entered the lives of the all female family. However I could appreciate the story, overly-long as it is, the competent and often inspired acting and the grand English countryside.
The plot involves a family with three daughters who are forced to move from their mansion to a beautiful cottage on a rambling estate when the father dies. The two older daughters fall in love with suitors and spend a lot of time wandering through fields. Then one of the...zzz...zzz...oh, something happens and the family works harder to get the daughters married off. But it turns out that...zzz...zzz...something else happens and everyone cries.
It's truly a beautiful and touching film, but male readers should take a woman friend to tell them how wondrous it is and so that they can find out what happened when they dozed off.
[This appeared in the 2/1/96 "Bloomington Voice", Bloomington, Indiana. Michael Redman can be contacted at redman@bvoice.com] -- mailto:redman@bvoice.com This week's film review at http://www.bvoice.com/ Film reviews archive at http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Michael%20Redman
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