Watching Sense and Sensibility (1995)

I loved Sense and Sensibility so much, and wanted to watch a film version of it. I chose the 1995 version mainly because it was directed by Ang Lee (The Life of Pi). Of the three Austen adaptions I've seen ("Pride and Prejudice" (1995), "Emma" (2009) and this one), I think this was my least favorite. I still enjoyed it, but it was less entertaining.

However, I will give Ang Lee credits for managing to fit most of the novel's events into a little over two hours. "Pride and Prejudice" was six hours long, "Emma" four.

As with any film adaption,  many of the subtleties of the novel are lost. But in this case, much of the dialogue was snappy and refreshing. The movie was well-casted too, though it was really hard to get used to seeing the actor who plays Snape as Colonel Brandon, a romantic hero. I'm not overly fond of Colonel Brandon either.

However, if you enjoyed the novel, it's worth giving this film adaption a try. I might also have a look at the 2008 version. We'll see. I'm also planning to watch adaptions of other Jane Austen novels, like the 2007 version of Northanger Abbey.

4 stars.