Leave Your Expectations at the Door and Just Have Fun

Rating: 9/10 (14 November 2005)

Let's get this out of the way: this is not the A&E 5-hour version of Jane Austen's novel. This movie does not star Colin Firth. This version takes greater liberty with the Austen book than does the A&E version.
Good, I'm glad that's behind us. Now just sit back and enjoy what happens to be a stellar film. Of course this version is a less literal adaptation, but it doesn't have the luxury of being 5 hours long. And there is much about this version that I thought was actually better than the A&E version. For example, this version is much more cinematic and never more so than at the astoundingly filmed ball scenes, when the camera takes off swooping and swirling around the actors in some of the most complexly choreographed shots I've ever seen. Keira Knightly and Matthew Mcfadyen seem more right for the roles than did Jennifer Ehle and Firth; they're at least closer to the age of the characters as depicted in Austen's book. Brenda Blethyn improves on the character of Mrs. Bennett, turning her into a real human character rather than a broad caricature. And Judi Dench has a ball storming on to the screen in a couple of scenes and decimating everyone in her path.
This film is for people who already know the book and Austen's characters. It's a very fresh and exciting telling of a very familiar story---who really needs yet one more ploddingly faithful movie that dares not deviate at all from the novel? We already have a faithful adaptation that's not going away just because this movie came out, and the book is always there to reread if you need your fix of unadulterated Austen. All I can say is, I was in an audience full of obvious "Pride & Prejudice" junkies, and they were on the edges of their seats through the entire length of this film. Highly recommended.
Grade: A