If you've left me a rating on either my Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus or In the Valley of Elah reviews...
If you've left me a rating on either my Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus or In the Valley of Elah reviews, please let me know as they are showing up as 'not yet rated' even though at least fifteen of you have rated each one.
Member since:11.07.2000
Reviews:778
Members who trust:82
Lizzie Bennet and her four sisters are under all kinds of pressure from their social climbing mother to marry and marry well. So when it is announced that Netherfield Park is let at last, hopes are high that at least one of the girls will find a husband. The beautiful Jane catches the eye of the rich Mr Bingley while the clever Elizabeth is attracted to the dark and brooding but undeniably handsome Mr Darcy. It's such a shame she's resolved to "loathe him for all eternity"…
Despite the popularity of Jane Austen's Georgian classic this is the first straight film version of "Pride and Prejudice" for sixty years. Considering the current fad for big blockbusters with huge stars and big explosions, it seems an odd time for a remake. One should never underestimate the allure of a big budget costume drama. Newcomer Joe Wright is better qualified than most to helm the piece, having directed the BBC mini-series, "Charles II: The Pride and the Passion" (see, it even sounds a bit like his current project). However, his television origins make themselves known in his chocolate box visuals that appear to have been sponsored by the Derbyshire tourist board. Not that there's anything wrong with misty pastoral panoramas (they are beautifully shot, after all), it's just that they add to the national trust gentrification of our history that ignores the tremendous hardships of the age in favour of a quainter perspective. The Bennets live in the kind of picturesque poverty that makes you feel someone's going to turn a corner and stumble into "The Haywain" at any moment. Oddly the film looks more like an adaptation of "Wuthering Heights" than an Austen piece, thanks to the director's yearning for the dales and his propensity for shooting his heroine on windswept promontories (not to mention his decision to shift the setting forward a few years so the women could wear more flattering frocks). This tea towel heritage sits at odds with Wright's decision to treat the story as an historical romantic comedy. Though the novel is certainly a witty comedy of manners, it takes a while to adapt to the notion that
many of the situations and characters are out-and-out funny. This confusion clearly extends to the cast, leading to a variety of styles, not all of which are compatible with each other. The central romance is typified by lingering glances that make for equally lingering close-ups of the photogenic leads; a simple but effective device. The other relationships in the film aren't as well defined. Though there is a warmth about the Bennet family, we don't see enough of them to care about their various predicaments. In contrast we see just enough of Mr Darcy and his plethora of moods to make him enigmatic without being emotionally stunted. However, the pacing stutters somewhat, slowing down the action with sometimes interminable vistas of Derbyshire that do nothing to advance the plot and making it difficult to gauge how much time has passed at any given moment and how long or short an engagement has been. It isn't helped by Wright's use of dream-like time lapse sequences that have characters melting into view without so much as a by-your-leave only to disappear shortly after. Then there's the climax - the film doesn't so much end as stop abruptly, denying us the anticipated weddings and sense of closure.
The screenplay by Deborah Moggach narrows the scope of the source novel considerably, making it very much about the predicament of a single family and removing virtually all references to young women being either a valuable commodity or a financial burden. Thankfully at least some of the political manoeuvring inherent in the marriage market remains, as matches are made or unmade on the basis of love and/or suitability in the very narrow sense of social acceptability. Sadly the need for expediency reduces the role played by Elizabeth's other sisters and some (such as Kitty and Mary) are reduced to mere footnotes in the story. Even interfering but well-meaning Mrs Bennet and selfish Lydia are sidelined early on. So Elizabeth becomes the main event to the exclusion of everyone else. It's a good job her dialogue is snappy and to the point and she gets several opportunities to reveal her inner fire. That's not to say anyone is left out in terms of speech with Mr Collins and Lady Catherine de Bourg getting particularly chewy chunks. It's such a shame that in many cases there isn't enough in terms of character development to underpin it. It's all very well people looking frightfully sharp and witty but unless they have something real about them, it all feels like a waste.
I'm not a big fan of plummy posh girl Keira Knightley. In some respects she's ideal to play the spirited Elizabeth, having both the poise and the accent. However, her looks play against her as Elizabeth is supposed to be the clever one, not the ravishing beauty of the piece though Knightley clearly outshines family flamingo Jane. She also has several irritating tics that are presumably meant to be endearing but are strangely affected and coquettish. Pouting, tongue-biting and sniggering aren't the most effective ways to show how intelligent and high-spirited Elizabeth is meant to be. And Miss K seems to think that rapid-fire delivery is the same as passion. Even when her heart is allegedly breaking, the actress appears detached and I never feel she is really experiencing everything her character goes through.
Matthew MacFadyen is proving something of a dark horse. Making the leap from small to big screen with "In My Father's Den" he proved he had the talent and charisma to succeed in cinema. I know Colin Firth is the ultimate Darcy for many people, but as far as I'm concerned, MacFadyen beats him on many levels. He manages dark and brooding tolerably well with enough intensity to draw you to him while understanding why he may be thought arrogant. The trick is in the eyes though - one look at Mr MacFadyen's peepers and you'll believe you can see his inner turmoil and maybe even his soul. It's a wonderfully nuanced performance that will keep the viewer guessing and even has enough room for some comedy thanks to his good timing.
The supporting cast fall into two distinct camps; comic relief and set dressing. In the first group is Brenda Blethyn as Mrs Bennet, who like Alison Steadman before her, throws herself into the part with gusto. She doesn't so much overstep the line between helpful and meddlesome mother as pole vault across it. It's a heightened, almost theatrical performance that though lacking in subtlety, makes up for it with sheer energy that manifests itself in near hysteria. Every action is big and every reaction even bigger and with the euphoric heights come the crashing lows. Tom Hollander camps it up as the interminably dull social climber Mr Collins. He showcases nervy character acting, where the character's particular tic is verbal diarrhoea, the content of which even surprises the speaker on occasion. When not indulging in pontificating, he's terribly earnest and throws in some puffed-up self-importance for good measure. Hollander stops just short of stereotype, though he comes extremely close at times. Judi Dench is also playing comic relief as the terribly snobbish Lady Catherine de Bourg (doing a variation on her rude and imperious Elizabeth I). Jena Malone follows in Brenda Blethyn's footsteps as the impulsive and silly Lydia. Everything she does is larger than life, from her matrimonial scheming, foolishness, flirting and boasts. It's a mite irritating (as the character should be) though American Malone proves she can hold an accent.
In the set dressing camp we find all the other Bennet sisters; Rosamund Pike is glacially beautiful but vapid as the stainless Jane, Talulah Riley is seriously underused as plain but talented Mary and Carey Mulligan is barely there as Lydia's silly counterpart Kitty. Claudie Blakley gets short-changed by the script as Lizzie's impoverished best friend Charlotte. All you get is a vague impression of a duck-like woman who looks twice Knightley's age and appears briefly from time to time. Though ostensibly a comic character, the buffoonish Mr Bingley doesn't get enough screen time to count as anything more than set dressing. The same could be said of his venal sister, played with vinegar by Kelly Reilly. Donald Sutherland has a foot in both camps as doting father Mr Bennet, clearly enjoying himself but not making much of the role. The best description I can think of for his performance is Canada dry as he can't be bothered to disguise his accent and is very droll but not terribly engaging.
The score by Dario Marinelli is period costume drama by the numbers; it's very traditional in form and content. To accompany moments of solitude he uses lone instruments such as a plaintive piano. He goes for lively traditional reels at the local ball, slightly more refined chamber music for the formal gathering and overblown orchestral arrangements when things finally come together. It's competently written and performed, but rather predictable.
The costumes are finely detailed and more or less historically accurate reproductions that juxtapose the penury of the Bennets (represented by earthy colours and simple fabrics) with the frivolity and decadence of the rich (illustrated by luxurious materials that are finely detailed and tailored.
This adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice" will have broad appeal, bringing a new version of an old favourite to life. There are some fine performances, a snappy script and an abundance of period detail that somehow make up for shortcomings in pace and tone and the overly twee portrayal of life during that era. If you're into the classics and fancy what amounts to a period rom-com, you could do worse. Even if you have to put up with Knightley's pouting and sniggering…
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Drama - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Ian McShane, Dudley Sutton, Phyllis Logan, Chris Jury, Malcolm Tierney
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Rightly winning wide acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic, this latest take on Jane ... more
Austens classicPride&Prejudiceis a real, all-round triumph. The age-old story still holds real resonance, and it follows the tale of five sisters dealing with love, an...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The five Bennet sisters have all been raised by their mother with one purpose in life - ... more
finding a husband. However, the second eldest Lizzie can think of 100 reasons not to marry.When Mrs Bennet hears the exciting news that a wealthy bachelor and his c...
Rightly winning wide acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic, this latest take on Jane ... more
Austens classicPride&Prejudiceis a real, all-round triumph. The age-old story still holds real resonance, and it follows the tale of five sisters dealing with love, an...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
A romance ahead of its time... The five Bennet sisters - Elizabeth or Lizzie (Keira ... more
Knightley) Jane (Rosamund Pike) Lydia (Jena Malone) Mary (Talulah Riley) and Kitty (Carey Mulligan) - have been raised well aware of their mother's (Brenda Blethyn...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Alive with a beating pulse, music, naturalistic settings, excellent portrayals, electric chemistry between leads. Disadvantages: A superfluous ending scene (US version only?); otherwise nil.
zerbine28 25.11.2005 (25.11.2005)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Pride And Prejudice (DVD)
Advantages: Fun, great performances, wonderful music and photography Disadvantages: Not everyone will like the slightly modernised feel, problematic pacing in the first section
CaptainDisaster 22.10.2005 (22.10.2005)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Pride And Prejudice (DVD)
Advantages: VERY TRUE TO JANE AUSTEN'S ORIGINAL - Natural and Unpretentious - Glorious Scenery and very "Down-to-Earth" Disadvantages: It stopped before Jane Austen stopped, and I wanted MORE!
Advantages: Alive with a beating pulse, music, naturalistic settings, excellent portrayals, electric chemistry between leads. Disadvantages: A superfluous ending scene (US version only?); otherwise nil.
zerbine28 25.11.2005 (25.11.2005)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Pride And Prejudice (DVD)
![Pride&Prejudice - 2005 [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78508070.jpg "Pride&Prejudice - 2005 [DVD]")
exceptional by (9%):
very helpful by (88%):
helpful by (3%):
