Sense and Sensibility

I bought a ticket to last night's Screen Unseen very much hoping that it would be Sense and Sensibility and I was thrilled when it was revealed to be the title!  I really enjoyed this adaptation once I stopped comparing it to the 1995 movie.  The death of their father leaves the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones), Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles), and Margaret (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), in reduced circumstances so Mrs. Dashwood (Caitriona Balfe) accepts the offer of a cottage in Devonshire from Mrs. Jennings (Fiona Shaw), a distant relation, in order to escape the reluctant charity offered by John Dashwood (Tom Brooke) and his odious wife Fanny (Stacy Martin).  Eventually, the sensible and reserved Elinor falls in love with the equally taciturn Edward Ferrars (George MacKay) while the impetuous and passionate Marianne is swept up in a romance with the obvious cad John Willoughby (Frank Dillane).  They both experience heartbreak in London but, when Elinor and Marianne help each other balance reason and emotion, they ultimately find happiness.  Elinor finally reveals her feelings to Edward when he is free from his engagement to Lucy Steele (Ceara Coveney) and Marianne finds real love, rather than infatuation, with Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nordrum).  I love that this version focuses more on the relationship between the two sisters than their relationships with their suitors but, having said that, I also think that it is incredibly romantic.  Both Edward and Brandon must earn the love of the sisters, Edward in an added scene in which he honors his obligation to Lucy when Elinor asks him to and Brandon in a restored scene (it was omitted from the 1995 movie) in which he confronts Willoughby for Marianne's honor, and both declare their love to the sisters in swoonworthy scenes.  The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, with an emphasis on the natural environment (I especially loved the rugged moors, windswept beaches, and rain drenched trees) as well as interiors lit by the warm glow of candles, and the production design feels very organic.  The main cast is wonderful and I especially enjoyed Edgar-Jones, because her performance emphasizes how hard it is for Elinor to keep her emotions bottled inside, and Shaw, because she is an absolute hoot (she provides much of the comic relief in this more restrained version).  The supporting cast also have moments to shine, particularly Chloe Pirrie, as Lady Middleton (she is omitted from the 1995 movie), when she comments on the weather and Turlough Convery, as Sir John Middleton, when he provides game for the Dashwoods.  There are some anachronistic details that distract (I didn't mind the hairstyles as much as I minded the modern dancing) and I did start to feel the runtime but this is a worthy interpretation of the Jane Austen classic and I highly recommend it.

Note:  I love both the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and the 2005 version for different reasons.  I now feel the same way about the 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility and this new version.

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass

Last night I went to my first Screen Unseen at AMC (this features a movie that hasn't been released yet with the title kept secret until showtime) and I was really excited when it was revealed to be Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass because it was on my short list of movies to see at Sundance this year (I eventually opted for The Weight because I thought my nephew would enjoy that more).  It is a hilariously over-the-top spoof of The Wizard of Oz and I had so much fun watching it with a big crowd.  Gail Daughtry (Zoey Deutch) is a mild-mannered hairdresser living in Kansas who is engaged to her high school sweetheart Tom (Michael Cassidy).  Their relationship is put in jeopardy when Tom sleeps with Jennifer Aniston (herself), his "celebrity sex pass," because Gail thought it was a joke when she agreed to their arrangement.  She decides the only way to save their relationship is to sleep with Jom Hamm (himself), her "celebrity sex pass."  Her loyal best friend Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) is going to Los Angeles for a hairdressing convention and she decides to go with him to find Hamm.  As they search the city, they are joined by Caleb (Ben Wang), a low-level employee at Hamm's talent agency, Vincent (Ken Marino), a paparazzo obsessed with getting a photo of Hamm, and John Slattery (himself), a down and out actor who once worked with Hamm on Mad Men, but they are pursued by the wicked mob boss Ludovica (Sabrina Impacciatore) and her henchmen Sergio (Joe Lo Truglio) and Niccolo (Mather Zickel) who are trying to retrieve the briefcase that was inadvertently switched with Gail's at the airport.  The group eventually defeats Ludovica but, when they finally find Hamm, Gail is disappointed to discover that he is just an ordinary man.  She convinces him to give everyone what they want but will she return to Kansas to marry Tom?  The many references to The Wizard of Oz are highly amusing (pay very close attention) and I especially loved the use of ruby slippers and a hot air balloon.  This also pokes fun at celebrity culture and there a quite a few satirical celebrity cameos (my favorites are Henry Winkler, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and Elizabeth Perkins).  Finally, the entire cast commits fully to both the zany tone as well as the physical comedy (Slattery is a hoot) and my audience laughed out loud the whole time.  I thoroughly enjoyed this madcap comedy and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre.