Sense and sensibility: when the greatest love is between sisters

A tale of sisterhood, love, family and passion that brings three sisters together. This is probably the best way to introduce the new adaptation of Sense and Sensibility.

I had the pleasure of attending the film’s premiere at Picturehouse Central in London, followed by a very interesting Q&A with the two protagonists. For those who already know the story, it will come as no surprise that one of the film’s most distinctive elements is the performances of the two older sisters.

Daisy Edgar-Jones stands out for her ability to portray everything Elinor leaves unsaid. The way she blushes, smiles or holds her breath when something threatens to escape her lips, particularly as she begins to fall in love with Edward, says more than words ever could. This becomes even more noticeable when contrasted with her sister Marianne, played by Esmé Creed-Miles. Marianne experiences everything intensely. For her, emotions are the fuel of life.

Thanks to these two women, or actually three, because Margaret, the youngest sister, absolutely deserves a mention too, what could simply have been a romantic drama about missed opportunities, heartbreak and young love beginning just as a family is dealing with an enormous loss becomes, above all, a story of sisterhood and unity.

We no longer see reason and sensibility as opposites, but as two sides of the same coin. Elinor and Marianne experience pain and pleasure in completely different ways, yet they are still capable of understanding one another. Love stories obviously remain a fundamental part of the film, but they are not the only thing that defines its protagonists. Elinor and Marianne experience love, loss and disappointment differently, but they always find their way back to each other.

Sensibility, then, is not only romantic. It is also what holds the sisters together, and what keeps a family moving forward after an enormous loss.

Visually, the film is beautiful. The cinematography is almost impossible to fault: at times, it feels as though you are looking at a painting rather than watching a film. That feeling became even more interesting after listening to the Q&A and discovering how much work went into remaining faithful to the period, even in the smallest details.

The Q&A itself focused heavily on the novel, so much so that it was called a Book Club. They discussed how many people have read Sense and Sensibility several times and have already seen multiple adaptations, which naturally raises the question of what a new version can bring to such a familiar story.

One of the answers was the decision to embrace Jane Austen’s comedy, something we sometimes risk forgetting when talking about her work. The costumes and make-up were also designed to remain as faithful to the period as possible. Make-up was kept to an absolute minimum, while the costumes were made using fabrics that would actually have been used at the time. For me, this only adds to that feeling of watching a painting come to life.

The cast also spoke about the excitement of bringing this story to a new generation and about the fun, emotional and intense environment created while making the film. The screenwriter explained that particular attention was paid to the dialogue, precisely because we sometimes forget just how ironic Jane Austen can be.

It is a story for people who love stories. For me, it has already found a place in my heart alongside Little Women with Winona Ryder and Susan Sarandon, and I genuinely cannot wait to watch it again and discover even more to love about it.