Film Reviews & Movie Analysis

Created and Written by Andrew Davies

Broadcast: ITV
Concluded: 13/10/2019
Synopsis: Set in the up and coming seaside town of Sanditon, Jane Austen’s incomplete finally gets an ending.
Cast: Rose Williams, Theo James, Anne Reid, Kris Marshall, Leo Suter
Episodes: Eight

Charlotte Haywood (Rose Williams) has been invited to Sanditon by Tom and Mary Parker (Kris Marshall & Kate Ashfield), an up and coming seaside town to rival Bath for the echelon of London society.

Tom has put his heart, soul and reputation on the line to get the town finished, and has to constantly coax his main investor Lady Denham (Anne Reid), to part with her money to make the town everything he envisions – much to the chagrin of her circling relatives who each vie to be heir to her fortune.

Despite the Parker’s welcome to Charlotte, there is one member of the family – Tom’s brother Sidney (Theo James) – who Charlotte cannot get a read on.

What a perfectly edible guilty pleasure!

A surprising and oddly fitting take on Austen that could only have been pulled off by ITV. It was a little risque, but also smart and compelling, with a whimsical soundtrack to boot.

Rose Williams and Theo James were spot on with their Austen-esqe chemistry, both playing their roles as the naive but smart small town girl, and the brooding, misunderstood gentleman, respectively, admirably.

The other storylines revolving around the principal characters were equally as interesting, and a special shout out has to go to Lily Sacofsky who played Clara Brereton – Lady Denham’s ward. She was positively wicked in a cold and unflinching way we rarely get to see women be – both in that day and age, and in general on screen.

By the end of episode seven, I did wonder what the finale would have in store, as everything felt so neatly wrapped up. I needn’t have worried as the last episode – though surprising – did not disappoint.

Now I should note that I am a massive Austen fan, however I may still be in the minority with my opinion: I thought it was a ballsy choice to end the way they did. And though I did think, this is not what Jane Austen would have done. I soon realised that it didn’t matter.

The novel was an unfinished piece of work, and so for once we have a chance to expand the story, to continue to explore the characters of her creations. They are now puppets to the storytelling ways of the 21st century and as such we now have the option of a (potential) second series.

And to that I say; play on maestro, play on.

Trailer Below…