Pleasant But Not Outstanding

Rating: 6/10 (24 January 2019)

It was strange watching this version of Pride and Prejudice because I'd missed it at the theater and actually saw BECOMING JANE and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES before giving this version of the "actual" classic a try.
Nothing against Keira Knightly, who is radiant in every frame and does amazing work as Elizabeth Bennett. Watch how she holds Darcy with her eyes, so that a flat and commonplace remark becomes barbed with wit and subtle criticism.
Director Joe Wright does a good job with some small things -- the dancing at the assembly really has enormous energy, much more than the identical scenes in BECOMING JANE. But the larger story doesn't really hold up. Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennett is really wrong -- Charles Dance was so much better in the zombie version. Mr. Bennett has to be witty and funny, not sullen and depressed. Also the guy who plays Mr. Bingley is too goofy looking. And the actress who plays his sister is too beautiful, too glamorous, and too charismatic -- you start wondering why Darcy doesn't just marry her instead of Elizabeth! The actress who plays Charlotte is great, capturing the balance between pathetic and courageous, while the guy who plays Mr. Collins is actually pretty subdued. His opposite number in the zombie version was running into furniture and falling through windows!
Altogether this is a good movie, but in some ways BECOMING JANE was more poignant and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES actually had a better supporting cast!
PS I'm not saying the cast here lack talent. Kitty and Lydia are played by Cary Mulligan and Jena Malone, two of the most brilliant actresses ever! It's just that Joe Wright doesn't really know what to do with them. He's better at directing big crowd scenes than actual one on one drama.