PRIDE & PREJUDICE : Keira Knightley Illuminates The Screen In Joe Wright's Beautiful Debut...

Rating: 9/10 (3 February 2006)

PRIDE & PREJUDICE
Joe Wright's PRIDE & PREJUDICE is an example of how lush and indulgent a film can be with it visuals, while still balancing a perfectly told story. It's an exemplary retelling of an unquestionably classic story, well suited to today's audience, yet never "giving in" to the demands of modern audience.
By steering clear of romanticizing the story and it's setting, Joe Wright has made Jane Austen's classic all the more compelling. The beauty does not entirely lie in the lavish gowns and perfectly decorated houses, it lies in the lifestyles of it's characters. The interaction between the Bennet family... their desire to use the little finances they have and make a luxurious living... their longing for true love, and the list goes on and on.
Incredible camera tricks are used to show the passage of time, and they never feel gimmicky or out of place. Overall, this is an incredible debut for a director that shows promise to become a major force in revitalizing the genre of classic literature put on film.
The story evolves around the Bennet family, a middle class family with a mother desperately trying to marry off her 5 daughters despite the lack of a dowry. Though we watch the romantic and social activities of all the daughters, the focus lies in the tumultuous courting of Elizabeth Bennet (played beautifully by the stunning Keira Knightly) by the rigid Mr. Darcy (Matthew McFadyen).
Though the story the center story of Elizabeth and Darcy seems to travel slowly to an inevitable conclusion, the twists and turns that bring us their offer plenty of surprises. And the witty dialogue and dynamite performances managed to keep me guessing as to how these two would ever end up together.
Aside from Joe Wright's direction (and perhaps to be attributed to his direction), the performances of the entire ensemble is perfection. Brenda Blethyn as the matriarchal Mrs. Bennet does exactly what Blethyn always does... but she does it perfectly here. Donald Sutherland brings a serenity to the film with his calm and charming performance as Mr. Bennet. And credit must be given to Matthew McFadyen for taking the role of Mr. Darcy (a role many people argue to be perfectly captured by Colin Firth in the BBC version) and capturing the cold nature of his outer personality, while also conveying the sensitive, lonely, and socially awkward man struggling on the inside.
However, the film unquestionably belongs to Keira Knightley. She has the perfect combination of talented actress and ethereal charm and beauty... with a pinch of tom-boyishness. The eyes are drawn to her in every scene she's in, and half the time I couldn't realize if it was because I was just stunned by her looks or if I was just completely invested into her pin-point portrayal. Only after leaving the theatre did I realize it was for both of those reasons. Every aspect of her performance works, and thankfully Knightley received the Academy Award nomination that her performance certainly merits.
For 2 hours, Joe Wright and his leading lady managed to take PRIDE & PREJUDICE, a piece of classic literature that never interested me, and make me a fan of Jane Austen. Hats off to a job well done, and I can't wait to see what's next in store from this talented director.
... A- ...