David and I both LOVED the new Pride and Prejudice movie starring Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen, Donald Sutherland, Jena Malone, Brenda Blethyn, and Judi Dench. MacFadyen is especially brilliant as Darcy—he presents a vulnerable, shy, and awkward suitor, not shown as clearly in other movie or television adaptations of the novel. We were also both impressed with Sutherland’s portrayal of a man who lives for his work and cares deeply for his daughters, a much more realistic interpretation of a complex character. Keira was fantastic as Elizabeth Bennett—she nailed it! And we were so thrilled to see actors of the correct age playing the parts of Lizzie and Darcy! It helps us understand that this really is first love for them both. The filmmakers also took some liberalities with the story and added much needed description and depth in many places (such as Charlotte Lucas’ explanation as to why she will marry Mr. Collins and the fact that Elizabeth explains to her father just how indebted they are to Darcy—a important point that has been overlooked in screen adaptations to date).
The movie is one of the most romantic that I’ve seen in quite some time—I was near the verge of tears almost the whole second half: I found it heart bursting seeing how much Darcy and Elizabeth cared for each other. It wasn’t sappy; the film was romantic!
If you are an Austen fan, do not miss this film interpretation of my favorite novel of all time.
I cannot wait to see it again! (AND see Harry Potter 4 this weekend!)
Every reviewer I’ve read has said they went in unsure why the world needed another version, and came out blown away, each emphasizing different aspects, and you’ve hit on yet a slightly different set. I may have to keep my eye out for when this comes to my favorite neighborhood theatre/bar.
Wow – have got to see this movie asap. Too bad it’s coming out the same weekend as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I don’t know if we’ll have time for both, and we’ve already bought our HP4 tix… But we definitely will see this one.
The photo is amazing — they really have great chemistry, don’t they?
Love,
Mom