Pride & Prejudice - A must see!

Rating: 9/10 (16 February 2014)

It's not every day that we fall ardently in love with a movie. Pride & Prejudice, a film based off of Jane Austen's most prominent novel, alludes to the most compelling desire of humanity. The desire for authentic love. Under the direction of Joe Wright, the 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice has everything we want – the lovable heroine and the picturesque estates allow this powerful love story to capture the hearts of many.
The acting was uniformly flawless throughout the film. Although arrogant in the early scenes, Matthew Macfayden who plays Mr. Darcy, must choose to shed his pride in order to gain Elizabeth Bennet's affection. As a dynamic character, he starts proud and prejudiced, but his love for Elizabeth changes him. This can be seen through his ignorance towards her at the first ball and the subtle touch of affection he offers as he reaches out to help her into the carriage later in the movie. Macfayden's composition becomes noticeably softer as his love for Elizabeth deepens. I truly admire Macfayden's acting transformation because he brings Mr. Darcy to life, and the realism of the romantic heroine's emotions have us falling hopelessly for him.
Along with this, Keira Knightley's acting as Elizabeth comes off as independent, humorous and free spirited; allowing the audience to easily identify with her. Her independence from societal norms is easily recognizable when she refuses to marry for security. Knightley's acting showed that you do not need to conform to society. Strong and prejudiced by nature, Knightley's tone and directness made her stand out from the other characters.
If I haven't convinced you to consider watching Pride and Prejudice yet, let me take a different approach. Visually, Pride & Prejudice was stunning. Under the direction of Wright, the use of space, cinematography and set design was remarkable. The realistic landscaped gardens, country houses and enormous mansions effectively represented the society of the early 1800s. Free spirited, Elizabeth was shown numerous times escaping the confinement of society. Wright captured and incorporated magnificent scenes that showed her walking along the countryside and relaxing with a book. Not to mention, all of the significant, heart-rending and romantic scenes occurred in striking locations. The raw and impassioned proposal soaked the characters in a soft rain, and Mr. Darcy ventured early with the sunrise one morning just to see her. The settings of these scenes are just breathtaking.
If you are still reluctant or entirely against Pride & Prejudice, I challenge you to take this opportunity to give it a chance. Discover for yourself why this powerful, authentic love story has such an enduring appeal to many people. It is not likely to disappoint and a more satisfying 129 minutes will be tough to come by.