Pride and Prejudice

So last night, Pete and I watched the new Pride and Prejudice, a movie that had a lot of ground to cover after its previous versions.

Overall, I think I liked it, though with the time constraints, you lost a *lot* in character development. And then there was the slight issue of Elizabeth Bennett adopting the mannerisms of Keira Knightly. While Matthew Macfadyen delivers a very fine Darcy--more mysterious, and more passionate than Colin Firth--Miss Knightly couldn't really pull out of her 20th century self to fit into Austen's era. Donald Sutherland's Mr. Bennett was an affectionate, though badgered country man who dropped his lines out in such an understated fashion you almost wanted him to repeat them to figure out how they fit into the story. Mrs. Bennett was, as usual, annoying, and Kitty and Lydia giggled with the best of them.

I enjoyed the filming, and the sense we gained from the movie of being almost in the room with the story. The distinctions between the Bennetts' society and Darcy's society were much more clearly drawn. With the use of a bit more drama than other versions I have seen, I think the director achieved a flavor of high romance, if he did set propriety at nought for a bit with Lizzie's apparel. I will also admit that I left with a sense of cold and wet, which may have been due to the weather outside last night, but might also be attributed to several scenes filmed in the pouring rain.

I would recommend that you watch this film, but don't expect it to be like any other version you've ever seen. If you accept it as a movie on its own, it does an admirable job of capturing your senses, leaving you with an invitation to continue watching even after the credits start rolling.

Just had to get that out of my system.