Sense And Sensibility

That Emma Thompson may be something of a luvvie pain when she gobs off about politics, a trait which seems to be de rigueur for educated actors these days (observe the artistically fabulous but politically tedious Dominic Cumberbatch) but bloody hell she can't half act. I would point for example at her brilliance in what is actually an exploitative and slight film, Love Actually - you have to go a long way to see acting as good as hers in the scene where she gets the Joni Mitchell cd for Christmas. Quite superb.

She can write as well as act - a point reconfirmed to me last night when viewing Sense and Sensibility, the adapted screenplay for which won her an Oscar. It's a terrible thing for an English graduate to admit but I've never quite got the point of Jane Austen, but Ang Lee's film has made me vow to give it another go. Thompson does a bang-up job on the acting front as if contributing the script isn't enough. She is surrounded by thespian competence, notably Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon. Not an imprecation (unless you count 'blaggard' and I don't think I do) or flash of flesh in the whole two hours. Altogether well done. 7/10.