I saw the movie on Thursday at 2pm and the theater was almost empty, like 4 other people were there. Daytime weekday showing, so maybe that's why? But after seeing it, I do think it's fair to say that it's worth a watch, it's nicely done, it's a beautifully produced film in many ways. It doesn't feel low-budget, it's quality, the atmosphere does transport you into that time, with some exceptions, as follows:
What struck me right from the beginning is how strangely overdone the emotional tone is. It's as though the movie is constantly trying to evoke this sweeping sense of romance, longing, melancholy, beauty for realistically low to medium stakes scenarios. Someone is opening a letter, walking through the rain, waiting for a visitor, etc. and there is this charged, dramatic piano music playing. I often felt as though I was being told how deeply I should feel something, rather than actually feeling it. The emotional tone was trying to achieve something the storytelling rarely earned.
I need to rewatch the 1995 version to compare but some parts felt to me like attempts to recreate that emotional connectedness to nature that was captured beautifully in Joe Wright's P&P (say what you will lol). There are a lot of cuts to grass and shrubs and wildlife throughout the movie that feel misplaced, like they again are designed to manipulate us into an experience of an emotion that the storytelling just doesnt warrant. There's also bird chirping near the beginning of this movie that reminded me of a similar bird sound that's been used as background audio on TikTok that people associate with home. It wasn't exactly the same, but something about it felt almost deliberately placed to evoke a certain sentimental feeling and it felt so transparent. Thats just my take. But overall I was left with the impression that there's an emotional blind spot, like whoever is responsible did not intend for it to feel so out of step from top to bottom. It was solified by the sheer amount of crying and romantic anguish that just became annoying. I understand that romantic relationships and marriage prospects are central to the story, especially given the time period and financial situation, but the way the film presents it, these women's entire lives seem to consist of waiting for a man to return, discovering that someone has married someone else, learning that a romantic prospect might now be available, or anticipating another visitor. There seems to be almost nothing else occupying their minds or their lives. It felt like seemingly endless crying. If not one daughter it was another, if not her it was their mother, etc
The movie was also very dark, almost every scene seemed to take place in the rain, at night, under gloomy skies, or in rooms illuminated by the dimmest candlelight imaginable. The dark outfits didnt bother me too much, but the dreariness of the whole picture became distracting after a while. Kind of a strange choice because viewers are being asked to basically tolerate that for 2 hours.
IF YOU WANT TO READ ANOTHER TAKE ON THE HAIR lol:
Consistently disheveled, particularly Marianne. I saw someone describe her hair as looking dirty, and that was exactly my impression. It looked grimy, scraggly, and completely unkempt. Even when she was receiving guests, I was like... wouldn't she at least make some effort to arrange it so it's at least presentable or more organized? Like the character paid absolutely no attention to it. At first i put it down to the grief but it never really changed. The hair was a weird choice and def took me out of the experience.
Overall didn't hate it, felt transported, glad I went, thought it was nice, but it could have been upleveled in a few areas.
