Johnny Simmons

I love seeing sibling machinations on the screen. There’s something decidedly charming in seeing sturdy bouts of filial love and especially when that bond is between sister and sister. It’s something that pits actress against actress and often results in good performances all around. So today we're catering to the ladies - But what makes a good sisterly pairing? Well, obviously, they have to love each other – that’s a bit of prerequisite, so of course no inclusions of those Dubois women…few sisterly pairing are as true, and loving as these five that follow – well, I can’t think of any…

            

There are really three Dashwood sisters in Sense & Sensibility, but only two of them get descriptive adjectives to their name. Sure, Emma Thompson’s age acts against the very reason for Austen’s title, but she’s a good enough actress to overcome whatever her age cannot. Sure, sometimes Marianne comes off as undeserving of her sister’s patience, but they do look out for each other. Like a clever diversion on a piano to prevent the embarrassment of Elinor and the dedication Elinor in turn pays to a sick Marianne. Dedication to sisterhood. 

           

Crimes of the Heart is such a forgotten one, but with Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange and Sissy Spaceck I remember it. A sister of Best Actress Oscar winners, what can be better? Sure one of them is washed up, one's suicidal and one's "never been kissed" but the chemistry these three women have make me wonder this film isn't more remembered.

                

It’s one thing ensuring two sisters match the truth of an Austen novel, but it’s so much more difficult when it’s five. How does Joe Wright accomplish it? Well Mary is the odd one out, and is often alone. Eliza and Jane gravitate to each other as do Lydia and Kitty so we have the older pair and the younger pair. But, even more, moments when they must combine are just as honest. The film’s beginning with the five of them, and their fishwife mother, haranguing their father about Miss Bingley is handled nicely. Yes, the strongest moments of the film come when Rosamund and Keira interact – they are so very lovely together. But Wright tries to make each one have their moment, and for the most part, he succeeds.

   

Of course this list cannot be made without some incarnation of the March sisters. Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are memorable characters of literature and cinema and the 1932 incarnation is the most memorable. Kate stars as a role that seems tailor made for her - that of the irrepressible Jo. Joan Bennett, Jean Parker and Frances Dee round out the foursome as Amy, Beth and Meg. It's a pity none of the actresses went on to fame other than Kate, and it's a pity that the fair but uninspired 1994 version is remembered more. Still, the March Girls are the epitome of sisterly affection.

   

Howards End is a delight, and more than anything else the reason for its beauty lies in the chemistry between Helena Bonham Carter and Emma Thompson. Sure, they have a brother, but Tibby is incidental. It’s weird, considering the future controversy between these two women and a certain Shakespeare fanatic, but the bond these two seem to share is striking. Sure, halfway through the film they part ways, temporarily, but it doesn’t make the bond tenuous, they’re reunited at the end because the Schlegel girls know something about familial ties. It’s a unity that Ivory handles wonderfully. They are as different as night and day and of course this is why they’re so necessary to each other.

                      

It’s anyone’s guess why British actors are so successful in Hollywood. I suppose if you measure it there are more American actors in the business – obviously – but when we think of important thespians (Olivier, Burton, Leigh, Hopkins, Day Lewis, Dench) we often turn to that little island and with the new generation of actors coming up even though Australia and other parts of Europe have made their indelible stamp on it all, there is still a significant quantity of British talent continuing to impress on the screen. And few are more important than this lovely lady in this wonderful performance.

            

Many single this out as Kate’s best. I wouldn’t go there, but with such an illustrious résumé there are a number of performances you could make the best of argument for. Eternal Sunshine was one of the better films from 2004 featuring a brilliant turn from Jim Carey as Joel Barish; but the performance that stuck with me the most was Winslet’s Clementine. It’s difficult to adequately analyse the merits of Carey and Winslet in this comedy since the film’s nonlinear format asks you to assess their performances in no stratified order, so it’s not until the end we can look back and fill in the blanks. A favourite part of mine occurs towards the beginning of the film – though it’s towards the end in real time – the trip to Montauk. It would probably rank somewhere in top 10 scenes of the decade and though Carey’s boorish discomfort is effective it is Kate – completely – who makes it work. The conversation may sound pointless and meandering to the less attentive but it’s filled with little clues that Gondry is giving us and Winslet sells it completely.

Clementine has a number of hangups, and she knows them. In fact, she reveals a key portion of her character early on. She says it herself actually – I’m a vindictive little bitch, truth be told. It sounds like a throwaway, but it’s not actually. But as moody as she is Clementine is she is also spontaneous, fun and honest. It’s sort of a tug-o-war between the good and the bad and it’s this irrepressibility about her that Joel adores so much and it’s the difficult task Kate is given. It’s an occupational hazard, but I always marvel at Winslet’s ability to do accents. It’s precise without ever sounding pedantic and I credit her Clementine with some of my favourite line readings – You’re freaked out because I was out late without you, and in your wormy little brain…you’re trying to figure out, did she fuck someone tonight? It’s to Kate’s credit that we want to slap and hug Clementine at the same time.

The thing is when an actor becomes renowned they’re often boxed into a particular niche. A free spirit like Clementine doesn’t seem like the “quintessential” Kate performance, but Kate is an actress – above all else – and it’s a credit to her talent that she makes Clementine work. Like my favourite performance of hers – Marianne Dashwood – the performance depends on the candour and sensibility of her character. We don’t often think of Kate like this, but it’s how I often remembered her. Whether with a British accent or an American one I love her playfulness and her honesty. When she says I’m just a fucked up girl looking for her own piece mind we're right there with her. She is isn't she? Her Clementine is real and absolutely perfect - flaws and all. Few do line readings are as well as Kate's and with Gondry’s brilliant script she’s exceptional.

                      

I’ve been tinkering with this list for a while, so finally I’ve completed it., which marks the final category, Check out the others, if you missed.

                 

Here is the list of the thirty supporting nominees that have had the most profound effect on me. These are the women that I think are best, well not quite the best...I'm not sure I understand what that word means anymore. Here are the women that I like the most. Enough.

                 

30 – Glenn Close in The World According to Garp

29 – Maggie Smith in Othello

28 – Julianne Moore in Boogie Nights

27 – Natalie Portman in Closer

26 – Meg Tilly in Agnes of God

25 – Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate

24 – Kate Winslet in Iris

23 – Ruth Hussey in The Philadelphia Story

                          

22 – Judi Dench in Chocolat

21 – Margaret Avery in The Color Purple

20 – Marianne Jean-Baptise in Secrets & Lies

19 – Marisa Tomei in In the Bedroom

18 – Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias

17 – Cate Blanchett in Notes On A Scandal

16 – Oliva De Havilland in Gone With the Wind

Along with Angela Lansbury above, Knight lost her chance at Oscar to Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker. All three performances were good so I can’t say that Duke’s was underserved. Knight’s performance, though in Tennessee Williams’ play is quite good. As the estranged girl friend of hero [Paul Newman] she plays a young girl Heavenly – as tongue-in-cheek as Tennessee can get, and her role though quite important to the film; is not excessively large; but she plays it well. With a team of future Oscar winners, she holds her own quite nicely. Her ‘big’ scene comes when she faces off with Ed Begley in his Oscar winning role as her father. It’s a nice, strong moment and she does well with what she’s given.

                

This performance is often regarded as inferior, especially in comparison to the ostensibly better performances of Davis, Baxter and Sanders. However, I love this performance from Celeste Holm. She’s the first person we see in the narrative, and her expressive face is what leads us back to the memory of Eve Harrington so long ago. Celeste’s part is for the most part reactive. She watches while Margo goes crazy, while Eve changes her behaviour and as her husband dallies with the actress. And it is with that expressive face that she sells it. I love that scene in the bathroom with her and Eve, and it’s exceptionally well played. Never, do we doubt her love for Margo even though her actions could have suggested otherwise.

               

Maggie Smith is exceptional. That much we know. Even with those one-liners in Harry Potter she still excels. In Gosford Park she is given the perfect role for an aging actress. Her performance is hinged into the beginning and the end of the film. At the start, the absurdity of having her maid stand in the rain is sad and humorous at once; and her narcissism in shown again at the end where she laments how trying being a witness at court would be for her. And in between that he spot-on delivery of her lines is enviable; in particular those few scenes with Kristin Scott Thomas [with whom she shared an uncanny chemistry] where she changed the course of the narrative were done well. A beautiful job from her.

                 

For an actress that seems to be as ubiquitous as Patty I’m always a little bewildered at times when I realise that this is her only nomination. But then this performance is not as frivolous as it seems. The movie is enjoyable, if a bit trite but Patricia elevates her character to such a height that it’s amazing. There’s a scene that always sticks with me. It’s where she vomits in a bathroom on the road and replaces what we realise is a wig on her head. Then looking at her reflection in her mirror she gives her visage a knowing, deceptive smile. It’s a nice acting moment from her, and it’s little touches like that that make turn this character into a realistic character.

                   

1994 in retrospect was quite a good year in this category. Although I was not enamoured with all the performances, it was a definite step up for the Academy from 1993. Helen Mirren’s Queen Charlotte is a Cannes’ winning performance and with reason. It is a bit of co-lead I suppose; she and Nigel Hawthorne are the driving force behind the film and she handles her role wonderfully. It’s a pity that this performance is not as remembered as it should me.

                 

I know that everybody in the world loves Rita Moreno’s vivacious Anita in West Side Story; but as much as I like the film and enjoy her performance I really was not gunning for her to win. I suppose that somewhere hidden there is an irony that when Judy went straight up drama she lost her Oscar to a straight up musical performance. Of course Judy has always and will always be remembered as an omnipresent musical star but this is my favourite acting performance of hers. As a pivotal witness in the Nuremberg trials there is an alarming weakness that she brings to the role which is unlike much we’ve seen her do before. Stanley Kramer handles her scenes very well and it comes off a deservedly nominated performance.

                   

There is something that just charms me about this movie; but more importantly there’s something that just charms me about Diane Wiest in the movie. As a single mother, who may be just a little crazy she imbues the character with so much good nature that she’s wonderful to watch. Never does it seem off, and never does it seem as if she’s trying too hard. Even in those silly moments with her daughter – it’s all done in good taste, so funny and yet so poignant. There’s just, as I said a charm about her that I can’t resist. She is a wonderful actress.

                       

As a fan of Arthur Miller I can’t say that The Crucible is my favourite play of his; but there is something amazing about the play nonetheless and the adaptation of it is able to capture the beauty of it. As Elizabeth Proctor Joan Allen towers above the cast [yes, even the talented Daniel Day Lewis]. Of course the effusiveness of her performance is owed to Miller’s original work; but there is just something outstanding about her performance that I just cannot put my hand on. It’s a pity that she had to go against my darling Binoche in 1996, a year earlier or later I could have seen her easily winning the populist fare that Oscar rewarded. And it doesn’t look as if he’ll ever get the recognition that she deserves.

                       

Ruth Wilcox, more than any other character in Howards End, hovers over the film. It’s not the obvious type of hovering where a character’s death must be solved. But eventually we realise what it is, Ruth Wilcox is Howards End. At the end when Meg Schlegel finally gets the house, we can almost see the figure of Ruth smiling in heaven…and seeing that her character disappeared from screen almost two hours earlier, this is no mean feat. And that is because Vanessa Redgrave is so talented. I wonder if Merchant Ivory meant for this character to seem important. Even if he didn’t Vanessa certainly made it seem so. Her rapport with especially Emma Thompson is beautiful to watch and hers few scenes are just so well acted that there’s no doubt that her Oscar nomination was deserved.

                     

I know that many are not as fond of this performance as I would like; but then many are not as fond of the film either. Glenn plays Sarah; one of a group of friend who meet for a weekend after the suicide of one of their friends. The group went to college and have met again after a parting of ways. The Big Chill is their story. You can click on the link to see more of what I thought of the performance; but with every thing she’s given and what is an ensemble film Glenn still manages to make Sarah seem more important. It’s a well deserved Oscar nomination.

                   

I always felt that Kate’s first nomination [more than her most recent, obviously] was always the easiest; or should have been the easiest actually. With Jane Austen as her guide Kate played Marianne Dashwood, the eponymous ‘sensibility’ of the film’s title. She is the excitable middle Dashwood girls, who is Elizabeth Bennett of Pride & Prejduice – but with less morals. It’s a sweet performance from Kate, and a thoroughly English one. She plays well alongside Emma Thompson and even seems to make a convincing romantic connection with Alan Rickman, which ostensibly seems strange.

              

Mme Tourvelle. Michelle earned her first nomination in Frear’s Dangerous Liaisons, a nomination I wish had substantiated into a win. What I love about this performance is Michelle’s use of body language, but more importantly the use of her face. The internal struggle of Tourvelle is difficult to present cinematically, and wordiness would not be true to the character, but yet we are able to understand. Clichéd perhaps, but goodness is not something that we can hear and believe, it comes from inside and just happens to shine through. Michelle’s Tourvelle lets her goodness shine through.

                   

I watched this movie thrice one day. Just because, I knew on each viewing I’d pick up something new. When you know what’s going on, it’s amazing how everything falls into perspective. There’s a scene early, it’s actually the first time we meet Mrs. Wilson, she’s directing Clive Owen where he should be sleeping. He tells her his name and you see the slightest trace of surprise on her face that is immediately cast off. It’s both the genius of Altman and Mirren that make me love that part. It’s so subtle, and yet so telling. Mrs Wilson’s internal struggle in this role is so palpable, and that last scene where she breaks down her in her sister’s arm is never superfluous, but as tender and poignant as it should be. Only Helen Mirren.

                         

When Celeste goes to Jimmy we are to believe that this woman loves her husband. We must think that this is not a betrayal, no soliloquy is written for her to explain, we just have the actor there. And when that actor is Marcia Gay Harden, you can be assured that we’ll understand what she’s feeling – because she’s that talented. I won’t be covetous. Two Oscars in four years might have been too much, but it wouldn’t have been unseemly. No matter how much Clint Eastwood annoys me every now and again, I will forever respect him for directing this wonderful performance. Marcia Gay Harden in what could have been nothing but turned into what’s my favourite performance of her and of the entire film.

                 

I always find it strange that I love this performance so much. Because I never question that I wanted Catherine Zeta Jones to win her Oscar, I still don’t agree with Sage and Twister when the rail about her. But still, I cannot disagree that Julianne Moore is astounding in this film. It’s the sort of performance that only gets better with age. It’s the type of performance that so many of the supporting women must do – forced to keep their feelings inside. For a film so simple, there’s that one surreal moment where Laura is about to attempt suicide and we see her bed surrounded by a murky swamp. Laura awakes with a start – a newfound intelligence. It’s a moment that shouldn’t work, in the same way that crying in the bathroom or confessing to Clarissa shouldn’t. And yet…it does work. Is it Daldry, is it Julianne? I don’t know, but it is beautiful.

                     

Choosing a list of favourite nominees was eons more difficult than choosing my favourite winners…and I haven’t seen nearly all the nominees…so imagine how that would have turned out. I left off all Katharine Hepburn nominations, since she’d probably have taken up four spots or more…and that would have been kind of silly…and I already have two women with dual spots. So here it is. And don’t think the list is exhaustive, or that I don’t like the performances that are not listed. But I have to pick a select few and these are the few. My list of favourite Best Actress Nominees. The top 15…but before we go there here are…

                               

#26 - Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal

#25 - Renée Zellweger in Chicago

#24 - Julianne Moore in The End of the Affair

#23 - Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard

#21/#22 - Anne Baxter and Bette Davis in All About Eve [couldn’t differentiate]

#20 - Shirley MacLaine in The Apartment

# 19 - Susan Sarandon in Thelma & Louise

#18 - Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Tin Roof

#17 - Angela Basset in What's Love Got to Do With It?

#16 - Olivia DeHavilland in The Snake Pit

Does anyone out there like this film? Vanessa won her first of two Cannes Awards for this role. Yes, she won the Cannes twice. Leonie is a bit of a silly woman and Morgan…well Morgan is a mental case…but yet. But yet, there’s the awesomeness. You wouldn’t think she’s a talented comedienne…and maybe the performance isn’t that comedic; but it is funny. And it is well acted, and at the end of the day – isn’t that enough? The movie is a bit of a question mark since there really isn't any resolution...and it's become somewhat hated, so I guess it hasn't age that well. But it's worth your time. Especially for Vanessa.

                                                     

#14 – Diane Keaton in Something’s Gotta Give

I know everyone says that Charlize steamrolled the competition, but Diane and she went head to head that year for me…and after a long gruelling battle Diane came out on top. This is, in my opinion, the best thing that Diane has ever done…and she’s done some pretty awesome stuff. She even manages to make me appreciate Keanu [like another actress below] so that makes it that better. The mix between comedy and drama is so poignant and who can forget that extended crying scene? Forever Nancy Myers films will have this to live up to…and it’s a pretty tough bid. The film was ignored other than for Diane but it’s a thoroughly enjoyable flick [not only for chicks] and Diane leads it wonderfully. Quite a treat.       

                                                            

I know Anahita would be screaming. It’s not the best she’s done…nothing will top Cecilia Tallis...but it’s still goddamn astounding. She was my favourite of the nominees…and only Joan Allen rivalled her that year. It’s rare, but reading the novel she’s everything Elizabeth Bennett should be and those line readings are just to die for. She goes head on against Judi Dench in those two scenes and totally sells it. As much as people may write her off, no other actress could have brought this legendary character to life as well. It is an outstanding performance and Jane Austen would be proud.

                                                              

And another Jane Austen heroine. I’ll get it out of the way…she’s tool old for Elinor…but it doesn’t matter. She’s Emma Thompson…and she’s that good. I kind of worship at her British feet – and with reason. The lady is exemplary. She’s great at playing these somewhat introverted roles and that scene where she finally goes off on Marianne is worth it, and yet those quieter moments are beautiful in their own way. I was not very fond of Hugh Grant in this, but she makes up for the inadequacies of any co-stars. She’s the heart of the movie. Cliché but true.

                                

I can’t write much on this. What is there to say? In my head she won an Oscar for this. It’s hard to separate my lust appreciation of her from her prowess as an actress. But that doesn’t undermine her ferocious talent. She’s every bit a force in this film and is just wonderful. Those moments on the piano…va, va, voom. It’s just a truly satisfying performance.

                                            

That last scene as he departs and she stands there crying is a punch in the gut for me. No matter how much I watch this [a lot] it always gets to me. That’s good acting. I won’t hate though…Holly was fine…and she already had one. But this performance overwhelms me in its subtlety. I suppose it’s not really her film but at the end of the day aren’t the performances more cherished when with little time they’re able to tug at our heartstrings? And she does tug at ours. Her expressive face is put to good use and with only a one year difference she does something that is as good…perhaps better than Margaret Schlegel.

                                                 

I wrote somewhat excessively in my review that this film depends on Wood’s performance. It’s more than just the typical teen role, her Deena is one of the most profound teenage women in this category – and that is saying much. She’s outstanding in her role, and I can’t say how good Sophia Loren was, but I can say that Natalie at least deserved her nomination. There’s a thin line between anguished and over-the-top and Natalie is able to tread it. Anyone with an inkling of doubt about her talents should take a look at this.

                          

April will remain as my favourite work of hers but Clementine was close. Those moments on the train to Montauk are some of my favourites in the film, and just because of her impeccable timing. Clementine can be a bit of a bitch, but so can everyone else. We love her when she’s sharp and abrasive but those bathetic comedic moments and those sadder ones at the end all make the character fully rounded and real. It’s strange that someone so thoroughly British can be so thoroughly American.

                               

Discussion on the race has been run to the whole gamut so I won’t even go there, but I will say that I loved the performance. She is the quintessential repressed housewife and those few moments of true release she has – shooting, singing in the car, the affair – are all played so beautifully. Her reaction to Lester’s fate is horrific and at the end I don’t come out hating her. She is a tragedy of a woman and is so comfortable in the character that she’s not afraid to show the faults in the ostensibly seamless life she’s weaving. It’s a difficult role, more than she is accredited with.

                          

In addition to her unparalleled six Best Actress losses Deborah also endured three consecutive losing nominations of which this was one. This time for a Best Picture winner. Everyone remembers that adulterous embrace on the waves, but the performance is more than that. I suppose the role is more of a strong supporting, and perhaps she would have won if campaigned there...but it's all blood under the bridge. And I found her quite beguiling in the role.

                        

Am I in K in your book? I think I must be. It’s one of my favourite line readings for her…and then I realise everything she says is great. And it’s not always what she says…but it’s that cliché about how she says it. She continues to do good work consistently in under seen French films but Katherine Clifton will always be who I see KST as. With such an extensive cast and so many stories it’s difficult for her to command our attentions but she does. There is no single dramatic moment, no conspicuous display of emotion. But it is wonderful.

                       

I’ve learned to live with Gwyneth Palthrow’s win and it’s a win I don’t mind [she was my second choice] but she could not have surpassed the wonder that was Cate as Elizabeth. Most people think of The Golden Age and write off the performance, but if she could make The Golden Age work [to some part] imagine what she did with a better film. Cate’s Elizabeth is a fierce and tender woman, and my favourite manifestation of the Queen.

                  

Something’s probably wrong with me but I end up finding her as the most sympathetic of all the characters. Yes, Millie is the dove and Merton has lost the love of the lives…but the things that drive us to do what we do – Kate Croy is a sad woman, and she will have to live with herself for the rest of her days. It forever remains as the perfect role for Helena Bonham Carter. She just was not as comfortable playing the ingénue and despite what Burton thinks she’s too humane to be a complete villain…but Kate Croy is somewhere right in the middle. If we turn away in disgust as she does what she does it’s only because we’re turning away from ourselves.

                      

People don’t really like this performance…but I think it’s possibly my favourite of her performances. It’s the role of a lifetime for any woman and she meets the challenge with such gusto it’s amazing. She sizzles on screen selling even the silliest of her lines, and when it’s time for that uproarious climax she gives it all she’s go. We can’t really say that the character comes full circle, though perhaps she is wiser than we started. But she’s emotionally stunted and this is not a introspective. It’s a shameless romp. No one has a chance to impress while she’s on screen and that final knowing look as the credits roll is all the reflection we need.

                          

#1 – Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons

And la de da, Countess de Meurteill. This was a no brainer for me. Nothing can rival this as far as I’m concerned. Her Countess is one of the most chilling incarnations of all time. From the unsettling opening scene as she scrutinises her visage in the mirror to that now infamous final scene…also with her face and a mirror, but so different. And as good as she is without speaking she’s even more terrific with those lines. Her rapport with John Malkovich is priceless, and every line is quotable. Even Keanu Reeves’ horribleness cannot daunt her from giving the performance of a lifetime.

              

Directed by Ang Lee [who surprisingly gained no Oscar recognition for his efforts], the story was inspired by Jane Austen’s popular novel and it tells the tale of the Dashwood women, who upon their father’s death lose their home to their half brother, since of course in those days land does not past from father to daughter [or wife] but to son. Thus begins a series of interesting, dramatic, sometimes hilarious, always touching events for the Dashwood sisters and their mother. In lieu of their mother’s somewhat poor spirits, the efficient Elinor [Emma Thompson] has become a surrogate head of the home. She is sense. Her younger sister – Marianne [Kate Winslet] – is an emotional young lady, prone to romantic and dramatic fits. She is sensibility. The youngest sister Margaret, [alas no alliterative adjective for her] is often, little else than an enchanted observer in the machinations of her older sisters.

Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson are quite charming as a sisterly duo. They are not as a incessantly playful and confiding as the Bennett sisters [Pride & Prejudice], but the filial love is obvious. As with any Jane Austen novel, the romantic escapades of the women are at the heart of it. The more reticent Elinor catches the eye of her sister-in-law’s brother Edward Ferrars. But before anything can come of the union the Dashwood women are carted off to the country to a somewhat derelict cottage. Here they come into contact with their cousin Sir John Middleton and his companion Mrs Jennings, played to delightful perfection by Robert Hardy and Elizabeth Spriggs.
Because Elinor is so sensible she rarely thinks of Edward, even as Sir John constantly berate her as to whether or not she has left a gentleman behind in the city. Their annoyance leads Marianne to distract them leading to one of the more popular scenes from the film as Marianne sits solemnly at a piano and sings a beautiful solo that enthrals a newcomer to the area, Colonel Brandon [a fine performance by Alan Rickman]. The affection that Brandon feels for Marianne is perhaps not lost on most, but because Marianne is full of sensibility – most emotional she falls in love with Willoughby a charming young gentleman who so romantically rescues her in the rain one day. Played wonderfully by Greg Wise this is arguably the best male performance in the film. But as with Jane Austen, what seem too good to be true usually is, and Willoughby is no exception. Willoughby leaves suddenly one day leaving Marianne excessively distraught.

The introduction of a young lady, Ms. Steele causes Marianne much distress as a trip to the city causes for Marianne. But that enough synopsising for you. And if you don’t know the unravelling of the story, you should be ashamed. Go and get it NOW.

Kate Winslet gives a standout performance as Marianne Dashwood. I am tempted to say that it is the greatest of her careeer, but I’m not sure. Nevertheless, it is an astonishingly good performance. At nineteen Kate earned an Oscar nomination and won a SAG for her performance, ultimately losing to Mira Sorvino. As good an actress as she is, I’ve always found Kate delightful when she embraces her English roots and Marianne [like any Jane Austen heroine] is thoroughly English. Marianne is playful, passionate, petulant, romantic and much more. Kate is absolutely perfect as this energetic young lady. But Emma is no wallflower. Her Elinor is not as showy but Emma is just as good playing her role. There is a scene towards the climax when Elinor reveals to Marianne who Ms. Steele really is. Marianne is shocked and questions how Elinor can remain so composed – cold even. Elinor lashes out in anger and frustration at her sister’s selfishness. It is the showiest part of her performance and she does it wonderfully. Quite ironic actually since her Oscar winning performance in Howards End was similarly subdued and only had one big actressy scene. Still, both performances are wonderful. While Kate gets to be loud and aggressive, Emma has those sad moments when you know she’s just bursting to let it all out – but she’s too sensible for that.
Sense & Sensibility for all it’s wonder is not without its fault. The most obvious are the age of the main characters. In the film the differences in Marianne and Elinor’s temperaments seems to be instigated more by their age than anything else. Despite her youthful performance and the age defying makeup we may still infer that Elinor is about 10 years older than her sister. This negates the whole point of Austen’s title. Marianne and Elinor are different in temperaments, their ages are of no consequence or cause as we unconsciously deduce from the film. In addition, for some reason I cannot place, the film suffers in the latter part when the character of Edward Ferrars is reintroduced to the narrative. Hugh Grant is certainly not a bad actor, at least not usually. But I found him to be excessively inadequate in this role. And seeing that Elinor should be the heart and soul of the film it seems unfortunate that her romantic relationship should be handled so shoddily.

The triangle of Willoughby, Brandon and Marianne is handled most beautifully, though become the more interesting story line as time goes on. Surprisingly the relationship between Colonel Brandon and Marianne seems quite believable and even pleasant. Emma Thompson makes Willoughby less of a cad than he is portrayed in the novel so we feel quite a bit of sympathy for him. But when Colonel Brandon takes Marianne’s in his arms in that beautiful rain scene it’s so sweet, so tender and so…right. We have no doubt; this is whom Marianne should be with.

I could probably wax nostalgic about Sense & Sensibility for days, but I’m sure I’m already boring you with my histrionics, so I’ll cease. But let me just say, that despite its faults and any inaccuracies I do love this film, obviously. And even if you'll never love it, you should go see it. It's a great film, and a good period piece. Which is why it won the poll.

What do you think about Sense & Sensibility? Do the Dashwood sisters do it for you? Was my non review too ingratiating