Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility (PG) Jane Austen’s novel has been turned into a lushly engaging comedy of romantic mishap. In the beautiful West Country of England, two sisters, the cautious, reflective Elinor (Emma Thompson) and the more recklessly emotional Marianne (Kate Winslet), fall for suitors who mirror their own temperaments. The symbiotic dialogue between ”sense” and ”sensibility” lacks the force it has in the book. But the movie, elegantly directed by Ang Lee (from a screenplay by Thompson), luminously brings to life Austen’s vision of the dance of the sexes. The final romantic epiphany is a stunner, at once rapturous and funny. B+