New Adaptation of 'Sense and Sensibility' Criticized for Overwhelming Gloom

Director Georgia Oakley's new adaptation of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility" has been criticized for its relentlessly gloomy and dispiriting tone, stripping the classic romance of its inherent joy.

The film, which begins with the death of Henry Dashwood, the father of Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret, reportedly maintains a somber atmosphere throughout its 131-minute runtime. The review notes that while Austen's original story inherently involves hardship, Oakley's direction amplifies the 'doom and gloom' to an overwhelming degree.

"Sense and Sensibility" follows the Dashwood sisters after their father's death, leading to their eviction from their ancestral home, Norland. They are forced to relocate to a cramped cottage, a stark contrast to their former affluent life. However, the adaptation's lack of "Austenian ravishment" and its drained color palette contribute to a perception of the film as a "drag."

This latest interpretation is contrasted with Ang Lee's 1995 film adaptation, starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. The earlier version, while acknowledging the dramas and "no-good dudes" present in the story, is remembered for its "through-line of lightness, optimism and pleasant perseverance," fostering a greater audience investment in the characters.

In Oakley's version, Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Elinor, the eldest sister who falls for Edward Ferrars, portrayed by George MacKay. Despite Edgar-Jones's established talent, the actors' performances are described as lacking smiles, which the review suggests is unusual for characters experiencing love. MacKay's portrayal is noted as looking "shell-shocked," reminiscent of his role in "1917."

Esmé Creed-Miles stars as the free-spirited Marianne, and Frank Dillane plays her suitor, John Willoughby. Creed-Miles's contemporary approach to Marianne is seen as failing to make the character interesting, while Dillane's Willoughby is depicted as sleazy from the outset, making his appeal questionable. Herbert Nordrum's Colonel Brandon is described as a subdued performance.

The film's score, by Roger Goula, is characterized as "sinister strings" that are deemed more fitting for a darker genre than a period romance. The cinematography by Arnaud Potier, often employing a shaky camera technique, is intended to update the tone but is criticized for being "annoying" and distracting, making the viewing experience disorienting.

The review also notes that supporting performances, such as Caitríona Balfe as Mrs. Dashwood and Fiona Shaw as the gregarious Mrs. Jennings, do not overcome the film's overall shortcomings. Shaw's performance, in particular, is described as crossing into overacting.

The overall assessment concludes that despite the potential for memorable characters, the film fails to make most of them stand out, resulting in a "sense" of the title that is notably absent in the execution.