This is a beautifully filmed, blissfully romantic film and story. The cast is amazing, with Kate Winslet (who is perfect in the role of Marianne), Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman in the leading roles. The supporting roles are also superbly delivered, by the likes of Hugh Grant, Imelda Staunton (as the hilarious and giggling Charlotte), Imogen Stubbs (as Lucy Steele), Harriet Walter (as Fanny Dashwood)...and the list goes on....all first-rate performances. The settings are gorgeous and will transport you back into a fairy-tale world of balls, gowns, and castle-like homesā¦but this is no shallow romance, but a Jane Austen story (even if the film doesnāt strictly follow the novel), incisively examining the balance between mind and emotion, reserved personality versus extroversion, and the relationships between siblings, within families, and of course, between romantic interestsā¦all done with Jane Austenās usual dry humor, intelligence, and sensitivity (and Ang Leeās film artistry and eye for beauty).
The music score is also exceedingly lovely and adds much to the romantic mood of this film.