A rushed effort on the Jane Austen classic

Rating: 7/10 (2 January 2009)

I write this review after I just finished watching the film. I must say that I compared this film constantly to the miniseries from 1995. It is clear that one cannot get the depth into the characters in such a short time of only two hours. So it's a bit hard to say anything really about the film that is fair in comparison to the miniseries. What I can say is this.
I love Keira Knightley, she is pure joy to watch, such vivid and lively young woman. Her performance grew on me as the film moved on and in the end she did a good job. The other actors had so little time on screen that I won't criticize them for they weren't given the chance to shine. Only Mr. Darcy's performance left me a little disappointed, as he is the other leading actor. The overall feeling of the film was that it was rushed. An attempt was made to pace the film to make time to digest the characters and the plot. Although the scenery was breathtaking at times, those short attempts to let the viewer ponder on the film in peace did not accomplish their purpose. The film did improve a little towards the end but it could have been a lot better.
As I've read the book and seen the 6 part miniseries, which by the way is highly recommended and includes Oscar worthy performances by Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, this film is a mere top of the pyramid. A million little nuances and witty dialog and subtle emotions are lost with the haste of the limitation of the two hours runtime. It is a good film yes, but not as good as it could have been.