List of the (recently produced) Sensible Films based on Novels Ever! By Heba Haddad

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I have been fond of films that based on classic novels since I was 13 years old. My life was passing on and I still find it hopeful to watch them over and over. Imagination is no harm when it takes our souls into worlds that we will never live in it and leave us to comfort for

a while...just a while, no matter how long that while is. Make your happiness by yourself whatever it is through this weekend by watching my list of the best sensation films based one novels ever..


The list is .. 

1- Sense and Sensibility (1995), and you can watch at: http://goo.gl/wjrR6D
2- Pride and Prejudice (2005), and you can watch at: http://goo.gl/PJXgVt
3- Emma (1996), and you can watch at: http://goo.gl/KNXFKT
4- Persuasion (2007), and you can watch at: http://goo.gl/Ho7bPQ
5- Becoming Jane (2007), and you can watch at: http://goo.gl/SvAXAf
6- Jane Eyre (2011), and you can watch at: http://goo.gl/ilzt7d
and Jane Eyre BBC mini-series (1983), and you can watch at: http://goo.gl/oFnAAM
7- Anna Karenina (2011), and you can watch at: http://goo.gl/ZmXWLN
8- The Last Station (2009), and you can watch at: http://goo.gl/Dx1AzT
9- Atonement (2007), and you can watch at: http://goo.gl/cLWBg5
10 - The Hours (2002), and you can watch at: http://goo.gl/BCh3C7
11- The Edge of Love (2008), and you can watch at: http://goo.gl/afw5Tn
12- Little Women (1994), and you can watch at: http://goo.gl/IfM0aO

And don't you worry, because I ll keep the list open for any pleasant updates ...

Also I will try, humbly, to explore each and every single one of these films regarding the discussion of its characters, directing, music, and best scenes.

And here we go..
1- Sense and Sensibility (1995)

One of the best ever made films that reconcile family issues especially those matters to unmarried sisters. It was recently when I discovered that the one who wrote that great film's screenplay is Emma Thompson herself (& stars as Elinor Dashwood) who spent 5 years to accomplish it! Isn't that great? 

How many lines of the lady of sensation, "Jane Austen"'s novel Sense and Sensibility do you memorize? I bet they are not that much (especially if you are not fond of classic British novels or an Arabic reader), but I am definitely certain that everyone of us is memorizing at least one line of that film's extraordinary screenplay by Emma Thompson. 

My best line ( & scene) ever of that film is when "Elinor" speaks to her seriously sick broken hearten sister "Marriane" (Kate Winslet) pegging her to struggle for her life. That scene can take your breathes away to the deepest sincere feelings of your beloved ones even if you tried not to do, either a dear sister you was afraid to lose one, or a beloved person you already lost and got through such pains of broken heart's fever & souls sickness. 


Another dearest scene to me of that film is when Mr. Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant) confessed to "Elinor" along with mother and two sisters that he was young and foolish when he got engaged with that silly Miss. Lucy who diverted her feelings to his brother recently, and then "Elinor" bursts into tears! The moment when the conserved appearance and mute feelings "Elinor" brings into tears all the words that desired a long ago to spell them out, makes you appreciate that someone there on earth ever though about producing that film just to experience how "patience on love" could mash us as the softest blooms
flowers!!

The final scene of this film is the one that with all sudden gives you the remaining big portion of "Happiness & Hope" that you were expecting all the film long and leave you with a "crown jewel" of all scenes that tells you: "Please watch me more often, I promise you ll bring down your tears in joy in every single time". This is when Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman) & Marriane marriage and he throws golden coins intro the air as a tradition of well attendants and rich groom of a happy wedding he himself is. 
Actually throwing coins (money) on a wedding attendants is also an Arabian tradition we used to have in weddings (a long time ago I guess!!). 

The beautiful soft music of the Sense and Sensibility film was written by: Patrick Doyle
The most fortunate directing of this film was held by: Ang Lee who happened to be the same director of his masterpiece of movies directing ever, the phenomenon "Life of Pi"!!
 

Another quite interesting and cheering fact that I only discovered lately remembering this film (and maybe many of Arabic audience don't know it) is when I knew that "Margaret "the youngest Dashwood's daughters, AKA Captain Margaret by Mr. Edward Ferrars, due to her passion to geography and exploring Atlas (as her characteristic in the film), has grown to be the Guardian columnist Myriam Francois-Cerrah !!

How sweet ...

Finally, you can watch amusingly the full-length film of Sense and Sensibility (1995) at: http://goo.gl/8HxsCi

Hint: From all the versions of films or mini-series have been made based on Sense and Sensibility novel, this one is the most addressed in the perfect way.

The second film of my list is ...
2- Pride and Prejudice (2005)

One of the most my favorite novels written by Lady of sensation "Jane Austen" ! In the adopted film, Keira Knightly, as Miss. Elisabeth Bennet, played the role that if I wish to live another life, in a faction honest, I would wish to be in her position, with my own modifications, as having Mr. Darcy a well Muslim guy!  

 
I come along from a family with multiple sisters myself, and it always has been the only obsession that kept any mother, not only mine, occupied in both heart and mind with excessive prayers addressed to God for it; "having the daughters well married" ! Hopes and expectations that come along when attending social gatherings in order to show your daughters so may and perhaps they will be admired by gentlemen and thus have frequent opportunities of be addressed for a well planned marriage proposals. The crowded house of female stuff and unorganized things all over, the always nervous mother restless in performing her motherhood, observations, and giving orders in bitching voices, and the self-isolated father in the reading room who only appears in the critical situations otherwise the mother is the official commander of such as house, are all some familiar scenes to all of those like me who lived in a house full of girls!

There are a lot of adoptions of the marvels novel of "Pride & Prejudice" by Jane Austen either in films or mini-series, however this particular film gave Austen the respect she deserves for the issues she meant to address in her distinguished novel of "Pride & Prejudice", as in this film, Austen was given the appearance of being more mature in her storytelling and complexity of the created characters than that of "Sense ans Sensibility" novel. 


From among those characters of "Pride and Prejudice", Miss. Elisabeth Bennet, who happened to be the main female character from the point view of the film' screenplay, is almost typical my replica! The reading girl, who spend time in developing no talents such as playing pianos, singing, and drawing (as were the habits of such era which qualify girls from respectable families to be amiably deserved to receive marriage proposals!) but more likely in developing her ability of discussing men and representing herself probably in every mental ways .  

There are several memorable scenes in this film, but as usual, I ll only mention those which lasted in my mind. 

First, is the semi-comedy scene when Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) (who, as I consider, played his first and the only important role in cinema ever, so far, in this film) first appears and enters the low standard room of the dancing ball, and then Elisabeth was taken it by innocent careless laughs that draw Mr. Darcy attention to her among such crowded ball, and it is the exact reaction that I would do if I witnessed that entrance of a stiff bragging handsome man to a room that I happened to be in it while others were taken by either admire or curiosity!

The looks on Elisabeth and sisters' faces examining secretly the two newly arrived gentlemen, and the appears to be evil sister of one of them, are priceless. 

And when Elisabeth and Mr. Darcy have this small talk about poetry and whether it is, and I quote, "The Food of Love" as Mr. Darcy questioningly declared, while Elisabet's reply came to his less expectation by handing him the mean remark back saying, and I quote, "especially with a hardly tolerable partner"! She threw her words and excused leaving him behind drawn in a combination of both "How dare she?!" , "That was unexpected!", and "She's just awesome!" ... I believe Elisabeth, starting from this moment, mysteriously made Mr. Darcy loves her even faster than she was planning or even thinking. 

The second phenomenon scene of this film is in the well-establish ball by Mr. Bingley (Elisabeth's elder sister admirer) when Mr. Darcy appears form no where asking Elisabeth for the next dance. The technique of the camera entrance on Mr.Darcy up to shoulders standing like a wall obstacle in her way running away and funny mocking on the ridicules Mr. Collins (the one that happened to propose to her the very next morning, and we come to him later) was just  perfect in both in expressing his pride and his keen tries to be near to her. 

 

The next brilliant scene is happened to be the one that came after that earlier, when in the next morning the ridicules Mr. Collins, as Elisabeth used to call him, proposed to her, addressing himself in the most plan and funny ways, and she refused him harshly. I can assure certainly that every girl or families of girls had such types of undesired marriage proposals at least once in her life!  
 

The following scene, is what I deliberately can address it the clue of love and marriage's dilemma, when Charlotte Lucas, a plan low-rank of Elisabeth, told her that she accepted Mr.Collins proposal referring to her condition of being 27 years old with no rank and afraid of getting left behind! And addressing her choice of saying, and I quote, "Not all of us can afford to be romantic!!" Her attitude and words touched me deeply, and I bet did the same with you, didn't they? 

Actually that nearness to our Arabic society of feelings and reactions about admiring, love, and marriage is a matter that made Jane Austen a writer that has been able to conquer the whole world with her family issues novels for being such sincere commonality and traditional, hasn't her? And, this particular adoption into this film has made her even closer.

 

Another scene that captured my full attention is when the rain was employed into the most adorable scene of them all! The rain always approaches us into the most extra contradicting feelings of compassion, deserted, love, and uncertainty. In that scene when Mr.Darcy confessed his keen love to Elisabeth but in return she with all means of uncertain hatred refused that "wet warmest" proposal for mistakenly accusing Mr. Darcy of being a person of a cruel heart, as she knew, from a relative of him, how he separated between her beloved elder sister "Jane" and Mr. Bingley and that made her hold such harsh, and uncertain, grudge against him! And I am saying it was uncertain feeling due to the same whispering note about Mr.Darcy of how he is a loyal and warm hearten fellow!! The almost happened kiss between these two make us believe truly how complicated love can be sometimes dearest and precious. Both of them are in love, and both are deeply hurt by each other. 

Another beautiful scene, is when Elisabeth setting down a beautifully strange tree with her uncle and aunt discussing the idea of calling Mr. Darcy state, which happened to be open for visitors!!, but she hesitating refused such a call reasoning herself by saying, and I quote, "He's too rich!" ... In my opinion, Elisabeth found herself uncomfortable with her inner struggle with herself about whom to love and based on which circumstances to choose in order to avoid any potential broken heart, however, Mr. Darcy was a man of ambiguous intentions regarding her, and with being from a law-rank family made her more hesitated and yet suffering. She wanted to frankly love him, but all the misunderstandings that accompanied that love story made it difficult for both of them to compromise with little of  patience and acceptance. 
  Yet another fairy dreaming scene, is when Elisabeth visits Mr.Darcy's luxurious state and examine all those marble status with eyeful filled of lost, longing, and love...  The preserved Mr. Darcy chased Elisabeth twice in this film, the first time when it was heavily raining, and the second when she tried to run from Mr. Darcy' state after he and his younger sister caught her peeping on them in the Piano room, and in both situations you cannot help but to admire such innocent intimacy ...

The profound, almost finale, couple of scenes are those which gave each watcher the ultimate portion of happiness he/she was sipping its nectar all the film long. 
 

• First is when Mr. Darcy restlessly paid an early morning visit to Elisabeth, who was inimical to sleep herself, after a despicable visit from his aunt Lady Catherin who asked her to denounce his love due to his infancy engagement with her ill helpless daughter! Some remarkable combinations of Elisabeth seeing him approaching, the cold whether that made you in your home able to feel it and react according to it, the sun rise after Mr.Darcy's triple confirmation of loving Elisabeth while the camera gradually focusing on their heads approaching, with no neglecting this picture's music's role, all have us filled with intimacy and delighting.  

• Second is when Elisabeth's father met Mr.Darcy in his reading room to talk about his marriage proposal with him and his daughter, and finally addressing her his approval demanding with delighted tearful eyes the entrance of any grooms that might be interested in his remaining still-unmarried youngest daughter, and the summaries it all about "helpless low-rank father love and concerns regarding his precious daughters"!

The music in this film played a huge role in delivering us softly and voluntarily into intimacy status well-planed by the novel, the screenplay, the characters, the director, and even the rain. Dario Marianelli, who happened to be one of my favorite musicians ever, has a distinguish record of music achievement and creativity that could made us all be so grateful to God to create some people like him. He also wrote the music of some significant films such as The Soloist (2009), Anna Karenina (2012) , which happened to be directed by the same director of Pride & Prejudice (2005); Joe Wright.  Both of Dario Marianelli and Joe Wright are forming such a creative team that easily has amused us through many scenes in

Pride & Prejudice (2005) film, and one to remember here is when Mr.Darcy danced with Elizabeth at the dancing ball while the music flowed softly between their "Love Me/Hate You" argument and suddenly everything else vanished and they kept silently dancing in a very flawless moment...
 
The team of Dario Marianelli and Joe Wright has adapted the same concept into the famous dancing scene in Anna Karenina (2012) film, which also of Keira Knightly starring. 

And in order to give you a hint about what type of team Joe Wright  is forming either with musicians, screenwriters, or actors so that to director us some of distinguished films, see the following picture.. 
Finally, you can watch amusingly the full-length film of Pride & Prejudice (2005) at: http://goo.gl/PJXgVt 

The list is going on, but for now I shall tell you, enjoy, pray for me, and good night...  
Heba Haddad