I have to say that I'm incredibly surprised that this version has received so many positive reviews here. I find this adaptation far inferior to the Ang Lee directed/Emma Thompson penned version from the 1990s. I am utterly shocked that I find the screenplay almost intolerable - especially as it comes from the master pen of Andrew Davies who I have deeply admired for years. The writing is quite dumbed down, the majority of the characters have not been fully fleshed out and in general the production seems quite rushed. Given that there is a longer running time than the Ang Lee version, I expected MORE development, not less. While the casting of Elinor in this adaptation is more believable than the older Emma Thompson in the Lee version, I believe that is the only improvement to mention. And to be honest, I believe Emma Thompson (while perhaps not quite looking the appropriate age for the part) did a superior acting job. The actor cast as Willoughby is completely wrong in nearly every way. The director has apparently decided to go the "romantic route" as the moronic director of the most recent Pride & Prejudice did in his depiction of Regency England. I regret that I wasted three hours on this as I had been waiting for it to arrive for more than a year.
Review of Sense & Sensibility
