Great main story and aesthetics, the subplots drag it down a bit.

Rating: 7/10 (10 July 2013)

Despite how much I disliked the messy and contrived Atonement, I've always been a little intrigued in giving Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice a chance. I've never read the novel, so I thought it would be an interesting introduction to the source material. Unfortunately, although I do know the premise, I struggled to follow the first half of the film, having to pause and look up the details of what was going on. However, once I got into it, I was enthralled by the complex main plot and characters, even if the excess subplots held the film back a notch. The performances are great and subtle, particularly in the two leads Knightley and Macfadyen, who's chemistry and charm are electrifying. The hyped cinematography is great for the most part, but during some of the smaller scenes, the choice to do little zooms is baffling and takes us right out of the time period, but otherwise it captures a rich and authentic atmosphere.
7/10