David R. Walker

Posts Tagged ‘Herbert Nordrum’

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.

The Worst Person in the World

Director: Joachim Trier

Cast: Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum, Hans Olav Brenner, Maria Grazia Di Meo

Film Rating: 7.5 out of 10

This film is in Norwegian with English Subtitles

Best Actress Winner at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021, Renate Reinsve is superb as the troubled millennial Julie in director Joachim Trier’s quirky and bizarre episodic film The Worst Person in the World, Norway’s official entry for the 2021 Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars.

Renate Reinsve is Norway’s version of British actress Keira Knightley both in looks and acting style. Reinsve plays an indecisive young woman Julie in contemporary Oslo who frequently changes career paths as often as she changes men.

However, the film focuses on a formative four years in Julie’s life as she begins a more serious relationship with a much older cartoon artist Arkel played by Anders Danielsen Lie. As Aksel introduces Julie to his friends in his age group, most of whom have children, the conversation turns to whether the couple would like to have children. At the prospect of Julie settling down with a much older man and having kids, this idea freaks her out and Julie promptly gate crashes a very hip party in central Oslo where she meets a man her own age, the handsome and muscular Ervind played by Herbert Nordrum.

Julie in between navigating the complicated relationship with her family and watching her own relationship with Aksel disintegrate, she begins an affair with Ervind and much Aksel’s shock, she unexpectedly breaks up with him. This leaves Aksel utterly bereft and lonely. This makes the selfish and indecisive Julie possibly the Worst Person in the World, a sort of Wildcat who is against any form of domesticity.

Julie and Ervind move into together and she thinks nothing more of her older ex-boyfriend besides seeing his controversial fame increase on Norwegian TV chat shows. After Julie accidentally bumps into one of Aksel’s friends Ole played by Hans Olav Brenner who tells her some distressing news about Aksels health, she reaches a cross roads in her life as she re-evaluates her relationship with Ervind while making some critical life choices.

The screenplay of The Worst Person in the World is excellent and the entire episodic film is held together tightly by a riveting performance by the ravishing Renate Reinsve. Director Joachim Trier’s Woody Allen like social comedy set in contemporary Norway is filled with angst, drama and many loose ends that leaves the viewer wishing for some form of cathartic release, something which Scandinavian film makers are not known for delivering.

The Worst Person in the World has a great title, a superb central performance and a cracking sound track but unfortunately as an episodic film some scenes could have been edited out especially the weird trippy sequence in the middle. The Worst Person in the World gets a film rating of 7.5 out of 10 and is entertaining, but not brilliant.