Pride & Prejudice (Widescreen)

Like most people who love literature I was well aware that Jane Austen could write, but the idea that Keira Knightley can act and hold her own against the likes of Dame Judy Dench was a revelation. Granted, Knightley has not particularly been called upon to turn in great acting performances in most of her films. In "Love Actually" she is basically required to look pretty and her best moments are reaction shots rather than dialogue. She has many more moments such as that in "Pride & Prejudice," but she also proves herself proficient at the witty dialogue. Knightley filmed this version as her final film as a teenager and the results are comparable to when Franco Zeffirelli cast the teenage Olivia de Hussey in "Romeo & Juliet."

This becomes the most romantic version of "Pride & Prejudice" because we are not surprised along with Lizzie when Darcy shows up and makes the most backhanded proposal of marriage in the history of Western literature. The screenplay by Deborah Moggach (Emma Thompson receives special thanks in the credits, apparently for script doctoring) makes one significant change in the proceedings by simply having the moment when Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen) falls for Lizzie clearly written on his face. At the Meryton ball she finds the perfect moment to throw the callous words that she has overheard back into his and with the rapier still skewering her victim she turns on her heels and walks away in triumph.

When next he sees her she has walked over to Mr. Bingley's house to care for her sister Jane (Rosamund Pike), who has been taken ill because of the matrimonial machinations of their mother. Lizzie's hair is down and she is positively glowing. When we see the look of Darcy's face it is clear that he is beyond smitten, even though through the veneer of upper class manners the signs are decidedly subtle. From that moment on his affection becomes transparent to us, although Lizzie is surprised to learn of its existence. Joe Wright also creates a motif where the first time Darcy and Lizzie touch, as he helps her into a carriage, resonates by an emphasis at key moments throughout the film of Darcy's hands.

Elizabeth Bennett is the most delightful of the Austen heroines because she has the virtue of not backing down. Indeed, I believe Darcy first takes real notice of her because she stands up to him at the ball. When she refuses to back down from Lady Catherine De Bourgh (Judi Dench) at the dinner table it struck me that one of the reasons she is so attractive to Darcy is because she is not trying to be. Certainly Mrs. Bennett (Brenda Blythen) has taught her five daughters it is how to be on their best behavior to catch a husband, and in a world of such propriety her candor is refreshing. Darcy's curt dismissal of her looks as being tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt him, becomes ironic because for my money it is her brains that make Elizabeth Bennett a real beauty both to him and to us.

The screenplay necessitates cutting much of the action to reduce the tale to a two-hour film. I appreciated being spared the unfortunate incident of Mary at the pianoforte as well as the constructed scene for the final fadeout and my only minor complaint would be that Lady Catherine does not utter her exit line from the novel when she takes her leave of Elizabeth in their final confrontation although I fully understand that the words cannot be uttered under those circumstances and the fact that Lady Catherine shows up immediately on hearing the rumor makes up for being denied the pleasure of hearing Dame Judy declaim that line.

I had heard that the Jane Austen Society was less than pleased by Knightley's posture in this film, but one of the strengths of this production is that the Bennetts clearly live in the country. There are dirt roads that lead to their home, where a large hog wanders through the front door, and when Mr. Darcy and the Bingleys make their first appearances at the local ball the dancing has an exuberance (not to mention slapping of hands) that makes it patently clear that we are far from the hallowed halls of Pemberly or the civilized life of London. But the outside locations are as sumptuous as the gilded rooms in this film, and cinematographer Roman Osin makes both look gorgeous.

For those who consider "Sense & Sensibility" to be the current cinematic benchmark for Austen adaptations I can report that "Pride & Prejudice" is its superior in terms of both romance and comedy by virtue of both crying and laughing more at this 2005 film.. Where Ang Lee's 1995 film comes out ahead is in its depiction of sisterhood, as Jane and Lizzie cannot rival Elinor and Marianne in their bonds of affection, which is understandable since it is more central to that Austen novel. Even so there is a cute moment of confidences shared beneath the covers and Lizzie's spirited defense of her sister's shyness. However, this one really is all about Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.

I am not at all surprise that Kngihtly received a Best Actress nomination for her performance in this film. As is invariably the case with such films the cast of supporting players is superb. Brenda Blethyn's Mrs. Bennett is comically painful, but Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennett has a touching final scene with his daughter, Tom Hollander is toadally obnoxious as Mr. Collins, and my wife really wants to slap Jenna Malone's Lydia a couple of times. The best thing I can say about this version of "Pride & Prejudice" is that I went back to the theater to see it again, and the only other movie I did that for was "Revenge of the Sith" (I was using it for class). This one was better.

Like many loyalists to the BBC series of P&P, when I heard they were making a movie I couldn't help thinking, "Why?"

This movie adaptation of Jane Austen's classic was always doomed to suffer by comparison, and I had my reservations before seeing it. Having read the book, seen the old old BBC adaptation (where Mr Darcy walked around like he had a stick up his bum) and sat through many marathons with friends of the 1995 version, I didn't think there was anything more you could possibly do to improve on the latter (despite the fact I've always been a little annoyed the actors were way too old for the parts).

The opening scenes may lead a viewer to think the movie was structured around the most famous lines, with filler in-between. This notion is soon disabused, however. To fit the story into two hours of film time, it's true some finer details were left out, and some side characters are dealt with briefly - I think that, perhaps ironically considering the number of toes the movie has stepped on so far, this is a movie best enjoyed by people who have already read the book and seen the 1995 version and can fill in the gaps themselves, without having to sit through over 5 hours of it. There is no fluff in this movie, and yes, as other reviewers have noted, it focuses on Lizzy and Darcy almost at the expense of other characters. But when you are making a movie adaptation of a book, you should never fall into the trap of wanting EVERYTHING a la Harry Potter 1 and 2: you must decide what the focus will be, and what can be cut.

So, comparisons aside, what makes this movie worth 5 stars?

Perhaps it is a sad side-effect of our rush-rush society, but I loved not having to sit through all the "boring parts"; I enjoyed the fact that the movie slipped seamlessly through all the crucial plot points to deliver a tightly woven story with more sexual tension than the series did. There are lots of subtle (or not so subtle, since the camera catches them) glances and movements etc that really show how captivated Elizabeth and Darcy are with each other, when it starts and how it develops. For the pivotal proposal scene in the middle to be believable, Darcy's attraction has to be believable, which is successfully achieved here.

As to that scene, I loved it. It was very satisfying, I find I can't look away, I'm entranced, and this has a lot to do with Matthew Macfadyen, a relatively unknown actor (I've seen Maybe Baby, with Hugh Laurie and joely Richardson, but don't remember him in it) who delivers just the right amount of reserve, shyness, pride, sensitivity and sexiness to the role. (Don't get me wrong, Collin Firth will always be remembered as Mr Darcy, though he may be wishing differently by now.) Macfadyen, and the setting, that beautiful landscape with the rain coming down...

Which is my next point, and other reviewers have mentioned it too. The cinemetography is gorgeous. The period is captured well, though I wished for more effort in the costumes and hair designs like in the 1995 series. Check out the extra-long tracking shot at Bingley's ball - after Lizzy and Darcy dance, where their conversation gets intense and suddenly the room is empty except for them, emphasising how isolated they are, how caught up they are in each other, the camera follows different characters moving through the rooms, with other characters glimpsed in the background, their own issues captured in fine detail (Tom Hollander, for example, perfectly captures Mr Collins in some understated movements and mannerisms without the oiliness of David Bamber in the series), coming full circle back to Lizzy again. So many stories are told in this single shot, so much detail that there is more to see each time you watch the movie.

Another improved casting choice is Rupert Friend as Mr Wickham (played by Adrian Lukis in the BBC series) - it is much easier to understand why young girls, including Lizzy, are attracted to this Mr Wickham. Brenda Blethyn and Donald Sutherland do a fine job of the parents, with Mrs Bennett almost odious in her gossipy, blathering, snobby social-climbing way.

I think of this movie as a great companion to the book and BBC series, or an introduction to it even, for those of us whose attention-spans are a little short. The series is a great visualisation of the book with some great ad-libs (admiring Mr Darcy's wonderful grounds, anyone?), but for the pure pleasure of indulging in the sweet, aching romance between Lizzy and Darcy, this is the one to watch.

Certainly this is one of the two most intriguing versions of this movie I have seen.

In the Laurence Olivier version, I thought his Darcy came across as somewhat affected and foppish. I have not seen the Colin Firth version yet, however I did see his depiction of Darcy in the modern Bridget Jones Diary movies, and he did seem off in his attitude towards Renee Zelwegger's character. He seemed too snooty, and as if he genuinely disliked her at times for no reason.

My other favorite version is the Bollywood version, Bride and Prejudice, a must see totally enjoyable version with the beautiful Aishwarya Rai, and replete with Bollywood conventions including musical numbers.

The Keira Knightley version I have seen several times, and even made copious notes about it, because whether you know it or not, many love stories follow the template of this story, and it has become an enduring classic for good reason.

The dialogue is simply beautiful, the scenes excellently executed, the lead actor Matthew MacFadyen interplays brilliantly with Keira, offering excellently nuanced scenes. Finally, a lead actor who truly does justice to the role.

Like many love stories it starts out on the wrong foot, when Darcy disses her to a friend. He does not know she has overheard. She responds with some later banter putting him in his place, and like the flick of a switch he becomes intrigued with her. Yet as you get deeper into the story, misunderstandings arise, new perceptions, a whole welter of emotions.

I especially loved the scene where he proposes the first time and totally screws it up. She is hurt and angry, and turns on him, and yet beneath that anger stirs a passion. Beautifully done.

Mr. Darcy: ...Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your circumstances?

Elizabeth Bennet: And those are the words of a gentleman. From the first moment I met you, your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others made me realize that you were the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry. [they look at each other for a long time as though about to kiss]

Surprisingly, in the book it does not quite bring the scene to life like the sparkling dialogue in the movie, merely alluding to the content of the conversation.

I also enjoyed the performance of Collins played by Tom Hollander, the repressed smutty preacher whose small estate adjoins her ladyship's rather large abutment. Love it, the language that is, not the..

Since writing this review originally, I agree that the mini series starring Colin Firth and Jennfer Ehle is truly beautiful, and well worth watching. Being much longer, it has the advantage of being able to develop sub themes and offer much more detail.

If one has not seen the mini series already I highly recommend this as a great entree into Jane Austen's classic. Judged on its own merits it's a great movie.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and I hope this was helpful.