Fantastic - a must see for all girlies!

Rating: 10/10 (7 October 2005)

I am a huge fan of all the Austen books, and will never, ever tire of reading them or watching mini series/films of them.
Frankly, I thought I would have to go a long way to find a better Mr Darcy than Colin Firth (1995) but if his Mr Darcy is Mr Smooth, then Matthew MacFayden's Mr Darcy is the bit of rough all girls crave sometimes.
The scene where he declares his love for Elizabeth had me gasping - don't worry, I am not about to ruin it for anyone, but remember where you read it first.
On the whole, I think his Darcy is a lot less insipid than Colin Firth's. Another reviewer noted that he did not act the part very well, seeming very disinterested in the whole thing. All I can say is that he acts with his eyes. The "mirrors of the soul" tell you that he has been struck dumb by Elizabeth, and that he is steadily falling in love with her. They show his confusion when he has been at Rosings and seen her again, the helplessness he feels when Lydia runs away with Wickham, and his pleasure at seeing Elizabeth at Pemberley. Top class indeed.
Kiera Knightly is a different Elizabeth to Jennifer Ehle - but good nevertheless. She gives her the right amount of spirit, and couples it with a smile as big as the Miserable half of Derbyshire! I was worried out Brenda Blethyn as Mrs Bennet, as I had enjoyed the performance of Alison Steadman so much, but she was very good and gave her the right amount of "nerves" and had some very funny moments. Donald Sutherland, whilst excellent at the uxurious Mr Bennet, did have very, very white teeth which rather ruined the Georgian effect. Wickham, alas, left me cold. Mr Collins - ah, what can you say about the comic timing of Tom Hollander? Genius casting. Just obsequious enough to satisfy purists and very funny to boot. Rosamund Pike was excellent as Jane, but the other three sisters just made me want to slap them - perhaps it was just good acting? I have now watched the film 3 times and can't wait until the DVD comes out - rumours abound that there is an alternative ending planned for the extras. How one could have an alternative ending to such a classic is beyond me.