David R. Walker

Posts Tagged ‘Daisy Edgar-Jones’

Sense and Sensibility

Director: Georgia Oakley

Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esme Creed-Miles, George Mackay, Caitroina Balfe, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, Fiona Shaw, Bodhi Rae Breathnach

Running Time: 2 hours and 11 minutes

Film Rating: 8 out of 10

Young British director Georgia Oakley serves up a sumptuous film version of Sense and Sensibility the 1811 novel by Jane Austen, a ravishing and authentic cinematic reimaging that Austen would be proud of.

31 years after the Oscar winning Ang Lee version of Sense and Sensibility, a 21^st century version of one of Austen’s classic novels was due for a remake.

Cast as the ambitious but single Dashwood sisters are Daisy Edgar-Jones (Twisters, Where the Crawdads Sing) as the sensible Elinor and Esme Creed-Miles as the impulsive and headstrong Marianne Dashwood along with Hamnet star Bodhi Rae Breathnach as the young Margaret.

When their father dies and leaves the Dashwoods in financial distress, wealthy relatives come and take charge however, Mrs Dashwood wonderfully played by Caitroina Balfe (Belfast, Ford v Ferrari) does not wish to live under the rules of her brother-in-law who has inherited the entire estate. At the insistence of the loquacious Mrs Jennings, superbly played by Fiona Shaw (The Black Dahlia, Colette), the Dashwoods relocate to Devon.

On this physical and soon to be emotional journey, both Marianne and Elinor find possible love with respective suitors. Marianne is rescued on a beach by the handsome Willoughby played by Frank Dillane (In the Heart of the Sea) while Elinor more susceptible to the strict social norms of the early 19^th century has a desire for the charming and gentle Edward Ferrars exceptionally well played by George McKay (1917).

As each sister navigates the tricky social world of English society, both in the country and in London, director Georgia Oakley paints a vivid and erudite picture of England which was intensely patriarchal in which all the property and wealth was only transferred to the men, their brothers or their sons.

A generational system which served to keep men in power and women dependent, a situation which Jane Austen so subtly criticised in all her novels.

While Marianne discovers that some men are scoundrels, Elinor realizes that miscommunication and repression of one’s feelings do not lead to lasting romance. Looking on at the misadventures of the eligible Dashwood sisters is the kind Colonel Brandon expertly played by Norwegian actor Herbert Nordrum (The Worst Person in the World), who is the epitome of a gentleman, chivalrous and protective.

Sense and Sensibility is held together by a strong cinematic vision, slightly gritty but also elegant as the production design by Francesca di Mottola and the costumes by Grace Snell create a definite contrast between the Dashwoods in the country and their time in London, with its winter balls, fashion and voluminous art galleries. The scene in the National Gallery between Elinor and Edward is resplendent with authenticity, repression and desire.

As a whole, the cast do excellently especially the two main actresses and the leading men do their best to be both raffish and desirable. After all as young Margaret complains all the men are in London.

Sense and Sensibility does start off slowly, but soon the narrative builds momentum, making the second and third acts both enticing and entertaining filled with drama, a duel and suitable developments.

If viewers enjoy quality period films which are not out to shock the audience, then Sense and Sensibility is highly recommended as a beautiful film which is by no means a masterpiece but is certainly marvellous to contemplate.

Sense and Sensibility gets a film rating of 8 out of 10 and is aesthetically enriching and brilliantly acted.

Twisters

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos, Glen Powell, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Daryl McCormack, David Corenswet, Harry Haddon-Paton, Kiernan Shipka

Running Time: 2 hours and 2 minutes

Film Rating: 7 out of 10

Minari director Lee Isaac Chung takes on a big budget blockbuster with the 2024 remake of the 1996 film Twisters with Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton.

The 21^st century version has a host of hot young stars including Daisy Edgar-Jones (Where the Crawdads Sing) as Kate Carter a meteorologist and Oklahoma storm chaser, Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick, Hitman) as the all American macho guy Tyler who is basically a hillbilly with a YouTube channel, Antony Ramos as Kate’s friend and suspected love interest Javi along with David Corenswet as Javi’s suspicious business partner.

With the exception of a brief scene in New York, most of Twisters takes place in Tornado alley in Oklahoma in the mid-west, with expansive fields and dangerous tornados that can crush a village in seconds.

Five years after Kate experiences a dreadful tragedy, Javi visits her in New York and begs her to return to Oklahoma for the Tornado season as she is a great storm spotter.

Kate relents and returns with him to the Mid-West where she meets a whole motley crew of storm chasers including the brash and boisterous Tyler, perfectly played with loads of Southern Charm by Glen Powell, whose ability as a leading man is proving exceptional in the 2024 film year with leads in Anyone But You and Richard Linklater’s film Hit Man.

Tyler has to contend with a prickly Kate, wonderfully played by a blonde haired Daisy Edgar-Jones as she deals with her past trauma, her ability to chase storms and her abrupt mother, a scene stealer by Golden Globe winner Maura Tierney (The Affair) who encourages Tyler to chase after her love lost daughter.

Speaking of love, it is a great pity that director Lee Isaac Chung did not focus more on the romance between Kate and Tyler.

Instead of sexualising his main characters, both of whom are gorgeous eye-candy, they just become a crazy couple trying to survive one tornado after another, a brutal force of nature that destroys with a vengeance rodeo shows, cinemas and whole villages. Oklahoma just gets ripped to shreds while the only character that has an interesting development is Javi as he fights off corporate greed to try and save Middle America.

As tornados destroy everything, Twisters doesn’t develop beyond the action sequences and the film just presents a series of characters caught in a bizarre world of dangerous storm chasing without any cathartic release. Audiences should look out for actor David Corenswet in Twisters, the tall handsome dude who has been cast as the new Superman in the DC Comics film coming out in 2025.

Besides the tornado wranglers, Twisters doesn’t offer anything more than a series of action sequences involving an angry mother nature while the characters drift helplessly in a storm.

Twisters is a great popcorn film but director Lee Isaac Chung should stick to family dramas and not be asked to direct Hollywood blockbuster films that need a huge box office return.

Twisters gets a film rating of 7 out of 10, saved by some awesome visual effects but doesn’t really develop into a gripping narrative. Recommended viewing if you love disaster films.

Where the Crawdads Sing

Director: Olivia Newman

Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Harris Dickinson, Taylor John Smith, David Strathairn, Logan Macrae, Garrett Dillahunt, Jojo Regina

Film Rating: 8 out of 10

Running Time: 2 hours and 5 minutes

Based upon the bestselling 2018 novel by Delia Owens, the film adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing is a handsome and beautiful production using nature as its yardstick, with slick direction by Olivia Newman and a sparkling musical score by Mychael Danna. At the centre of Where The Crawdads Sing is the mystery of the murder of Chase Andrews, a wealthy young man from North Carolina who gets involved in the beautiful yet illusive Marsh Girl, Kya Clark wonderfully played by British star Daisy Edgar-Jones.

Chase Andrews is found dead in the Carolina Marsh and Kya Clark is the only suspect. But who is the Marsh Girl?

Kya Clark was abandoned by her siblings and mother at a young age in the marshes where she lived with her abusive father Pa played by Garrett Dillahunt and then soon her father abandons her leaving Kya alone to fend for herself. Having grown up in the marshes and being intimately attuned to nature, Kya develops a talent for naturalist drawings of all the creatures in the marshes and she also develops a crush on the nearest neighbour Tate Walker played by Taylor John Smith who treats Kya with respect and compassion even though he is unsure how to date her initially.

After Tate Walker fails to keep a promise on Independence Day, Kya drifts into the nasty and privileged world of the brutal but dashing Chase Andrews expertly played by Harris Dickinson (The King’s Man, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil).

While trying to pursue a career as a nature illustrator to fund her purchase of the land and house that she is living in, Kya gets embroiled in an affair with Chase Andrews who proves not to be the man of her dreams, despite his charm and confidence.

After Chase’s body is found, Kya is arrested and luckily legal aid comes to assist her in the form of a benevolent lawyer Tom Milton played by Oscar nominee David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck).

Set in the 1960’s in North Carolina, Where the Crawdads Sing is an engaging story about a mysterious marsh girl, her hidden talents and her ability to fend for herself when local gossip is used as a weapon of exclusion because she is different, and not socialized into the urban community.

Covering themes of illiteracy, exclusion, abuse and hidden talents, Where the Crawdads Sing is a fascinating story about a mysterious girl who rises above all the ridicule to survive in a hostile world. Her only safe place is the Carolina Marshes where secrets and betrayals are buried.

Beautifully directed by Olivia Newman, Where the Crawdads Sing is highly recommended viewing especially for those that have read the book and gets a film rating of 8 out of 10.