Original, unique, and brilliant!

Rating: 10/10 (12 November 2005)

Some great movies it takes more than one time to fully appreciate every aspect of them. Joe Wright's "Pride and Prejudice" is original, unique, highly sophisticated, and just remarkably beautiful.
Keira Knightley crates a beautiful, naturally charming, and an original version of Elizabeth. Her performance is just flawless. I love her deep emotion, her girlish beauty combines with her tomboyance and the strength of her character. She has really proved herself as a leading lady at such a young age.
The cinematography in this film is also brilliant. Yes, this is the film that is worth seeing in theater because it was just so beautifully shot. You will see several shots of country life: grass, mud, rain, animals, farming. You will also see beautiful landscape and sceneries of Lady Catherine's house, Darcy's house, Elizabeth's trip, etc. The whole film is like a series of beautiful photographs, but with much emotion and beautiful music. And don't forget the scenes at the dances where the camera keeps rolling and following the situation without stopping for a second. How brilliantly organized that is and how everybody has to be ready and right on the spot....it was just genius.
And yes, the music does so much work in building up the intensity of the story. The dance in the honor of Bingley where Darcy and Elizabeth dance together for the first time started of a bit comedic but ended with an intense anger. Knightley and McFadyen did their best job, but it was the music that builds the tension and releases it.
The Bennett family shows an honest relationship. The five sisters give the same vibe you would get from the March family from "Little Women." Brenda Blethyn's character may seem like the clown of the story, but in her we see how deeply she cares for her children and we see reasons for her over-the-top action. The film also takes the time to build a relationship between Donald Sutherland and Knightley as a loving father and his most favorite daughter. We see their connection during the scene when they argue, and the scene when she consults her feeling with him. It's deeply moving and touching.
And what more can I say that I haven't already? A lot. But I want you to experience the film first. This is a truly great film that deserves much more attention than it has received so far. Jane Austen's fans shouldn't be disappointed, and non-Jane Austen's fans might even want to start reading her works. "Pride and Prejudice" is a timeless story and one of the most beautiful and intelligent love story of all time. It's a study of human characters, culturalism, feminism, and romance. And this film does it total justice.