Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Why Kiera Knightley?

Kiera Knightley ruined this movie for me, just like she also ruined King Arthur too. Frankly, I just don't like her at all, not her appearance nor her acting ability. Shame too, as the rest of the ensemble as well as the cinematography, musical score, etc.. are easily four stars. July 24, 2008

Disappointing and Confusing

This movie was the most disappointing version of Pride and Prejudice yet...There was so much of the story left out that if you had never read the books you'd be lost(as were the two people watching with me) The actors were not convincing in their roles. Overall I was very disappointed in this film. July 21, 2008

Uugggh!

Really disappointing in comparison to the A&E production. Read the book and you'll realize the difference. A&E was faithful to the book and to the time period; an excellent series. This might appeal to some but is nowhere near the quality interpretation of the A&E/Colin Firth series. July 20, 2008

Glowing Review

I love this movie. The acting, the cinimatography, the music, the script, costumes, set direction...

Cinimatography: The sweeping landscapes, the close-ups of Mr. Darcy's hand, the continuous shots at the Netherfield Ball are amazing. The way the camera follows the different characters through multiple rooms in the sweeping mantion without edits. I think they used some cg to piece a few of the shots together seamlessly, but a lot of it clearly depended on plentiful rehearsal and organization. Beautiful.

I could go on and on, but I won't. Just see this movie, or not I don't really care as long as I can continue to watch it. July 17, 2008

A Surprising Delight

It's so rare to find a satisfying romance at the movies that I nearly dissolved into raptures of delight to discover not one but two of them this weekend! On Friday I had the distinct pleasure of going to see the new theatrical version of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE with Keira Knightly and Matthew MacFadyen. To be honest, I was prepared to be disappointed. I had seen the rather murky looking trailer that made even the gorgeous Keira Knightly look washed-out and blotchy. Plus as we all know, every version of P & P must now be compared to that platinum standard of the 1995 BBC mini-series with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

But I found the new movie to be thoroughly delightful and exhilarating! At just a little over 2 hours long, it couldn't cover quite as much ground as the mini-series (Wickham and the two younger sisters had very minor roles), but it beautifully captured the romance and robust good humor of Austen's story. I was caught off guard by several laugh-out-loud moments.

Keira Knightly embodied Elizabeth Bennet's intelligence and wit. (Her portrayal also reminded me a little of Jo March in LITTLE WOMEN.) One glimpse of her smile and you knew why Darcy's heart was captivated. MacFadyen as Mr. Darcy won me over in the moment when I realized his voice had the exact same timbre as Alan Rickman's. The murkier cinematography actually ended up making the movie seem more vital and historically accurate. The gritty images of daily life are contrasted with breathtaking shots of the English countryside, including one of Mr. Darcy striding out of the mist that almost rivals Colin Firth's rising up out of Pemberly's pond on the female gasp of appreciation scale. (Yes, this is an actual scientific device. I have one in my office.)

(Originally published on the website of author Teresa Medeiros[...]) July 15, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...