DARKMATTERS - The Mind of Matt

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Monday, September 19, 2005

Film Review: Pride & Prejudice



Pride & Prejudice (U)
Dir. Joe Wright

Reviewed by Matt Adcock


Violent scenes of utter carnage and unspeakable brutality


- racked my dreams after seeing this new big screen version of the much-loved Jane Austen classic ‘Pride & Prejudice’. I don’t think it had much to do with the film but you never know…


So, ten whole years after the BBC unleashed Colin Firth’s Mr Darcy into a million women’s fantasies, up steps Keira Knightley as an exercet missile of hot female feistiness - Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and she has a ‘lock on’ to male hearts the world over. I have to confess something here, although my love for Die Hard, Star Wars and Fight Club are well documented, I erm, I also have a serious passion for the work of Jane Austen. This is almost certainly due to the influence of my mother who introduced me to her books at an impressionable age and when I say 'introduced me' I mean 'forced me to read her entire catalogue of works'... I’ve never been quite the same since…


Those who have not been initiated into the way of the Austen may not realise that it was she who basically created the romantic comedy ‘formula’ we all been subjected to many times over (often thanks to Richard Curtis). And of her books it is Pride & Prejudice that delivers everything you could want in a timeless story of love conquering social class barriers and foolish arrogance and misunderstanding.


Matthew MacFadyen takes the role Darcy this time and whilst acknowledged as not being as much of a heart throb as Firth, he does convey Darcy’s conceit and hauteur convincingly. In fact the acting is excellent across the board, I really enjoyed Simon Woods’ Bingley and Judi Dench makes a great Lady Catherine de Bourgh. But even with the lovely Jena Malone and Rosamund ‘Doom’ Pike as her sisters it is Keira who steals the show with her impish smile and impossibly gorgeous features. Austen purists might complain that she doesn’t have the prerequisite heaving cleavage with which to convey her emotion but there’s not a red-blooded man alive who wouldn’t be captivated by her Elizabeth (if she really existed of course).


All in all, debut director Joe Wright delivers a great film and utilises some jaw dropping landscape scenes, which add to the semi epic feel. Some may lament the fact that they couldn’t cram everything from the BBC 6-hour miniseries into these two hours but as a complete package this P&P is a top night out.

Darkmatt Rating: öööö (the original and best - rom com)

Reviews of other films and stuff you might want to read indexed here


"Keira... oh you're lovely!!"

If you're a Jane Austin fan then you might want to check out this blog:

http://ladaisi.blogspot.com/2010/11/im-jane-austen-jane-eyre-kind-of-girl.html

For a more action packed version check: Pride and Prejudice and ZOMBIES

"Mmmmmmm"

1 comment:

ladaisi said...

Hey! Thanks for the link-back.

As someone who has read P&P about 200 times, as well as Austen's other works. . . and seen both the BBC version and the most recent film. . . I've got to say I thoroughly enjoyed your review. I think both film versions bring different aspects of the novel to light: the BBC version focuses heavily on the culture of that specific period, whereas the latest film brings forth Austen's focus on feminism. She really was beyond her time.

- Lauren

Ladaisi Blog