A good movie, but not the quintessential P&P

Rating: 7/10 (14 November 2005)

I went to this movie (presently in limited release here in Los Angeles) with what I hope was an open mind, even though I'm a big fan of the 1995 BBC production. I did enjoy it on the whole, but I do have some reservations. For instance, I can understand why many things had to be compressed because of the shorter length of the movie, but why did they decide to set it in an earlier period than Austen intended? I love the elegance of the BBC production--elegant homes, elegant clothing, elegant dancing. This production featured a lot of noise and a lot of bouncing around (intentional because of the period, I understand).
I thought Keira Knightley made an excellent Lizzie, though. She has that rare luminescent quality that makes the screen hers alone whenever she's in a scene. But I didn't care for Matthew MacFadyen as Darcy. He seemed mostly sad, rather than mysterious and brooding, and wasn't in my opinion handsome enough for Darcy (although he does have beautiful eyes).
Oh, for Colin Firth and that impromptu dive into the lake!