Wow!

Rating: 9/10 (23 February 2006)

I only went to see this movie because it was at a theater opening for free and my wife had wanted to see it. My expectations were very low and I was ready for another stuffy British romance full of boring scenes and pretentious behavior. I was proved completely wrong. I never imagined that this film would be so outright funny the entire time! While the acting and script were very sophisticated they never dragged on nor treated the audience as low class. Keira Knightley was outright fantastic in her portrayal of Elizabeth. She completely deserved her Oscar nomination and it is unfortunate that this movie happened to come out at the same time as Walk the Line. It appears that Reese Witherspoon will be the one to win.
The story was very descriptive and never left anything open. This was a true tale of a couple separated by circumstance. The final love scene, while brief, was very emotional and so beautiful that the viewer can almost feel how much Darcy loves Elizabeth. Because this film is not "politically correct" it didn't receive all of the attention that Brokeback Mountain did, when in fact this film was outright EVERYTHING the boring Brokeback Mountain claimed to be.
Cinematography for this film was very underrated. The shots of the landscapes and backgrounds were so beautiful that I wished I could visit England. The scene where Elizabeth stood on the cliff alone deserved the Oscar nomination.
When the scenery, costumes and acting were not being featured the movie kept the audience entertained with its comedy. This film was never boring at any point. I've seen several comedies where I have laughed less than I did watching this film. Though listed as a drama, this movie was actually the true definition of a romantic comedy. Also, the characters and acting were so incredible that I found myself rooting for the protagonists and legitimately hating the snobby or deceptive characters. This was truly a great film.
This was a true date movie. Seeing this movie with my wife made it even more emotional. I look forward to buying this film on DVD eventually.