Enjoyable to a Pride & Prejudice novice...

Rating: 3/10 (1 December 2005)

At the outset I must say that I am a huge fan of the novel and the 1995 BBC mini-series. Having said that I went into the movie determined to keep an open mind and give it a chance. However, despite my efforts, the film left me feeling unsatisfied. While I knew the ending, I found myself not caring whether or not Lizzie and Darcy or Jane and Bingley would end up together. I found Kiera Knightley's portrayal of Lizzy to be more how I would expect Lydia's character to be portrayed and, while Matthew MacFadyen was adequate as Mr. Darcy, he did not seem to quite capture all the nuances of the character as he was written.
While I understand that the story needed to be shortened to fit the 2-hour time frame, I felt that the way this was achieved was clumsy and did not place enough emphasis on the minor characters and story lines, the best example of this being that Wickham is only in 2 or 3 scenes. The film felt rushed and elements of the story that are so enjoyable in the book and other adaptations, such as the development of Lizzie's dislike and then the changes in Lizzie and Darcy at Pemberly, as well as the intricacies of social relationships and interactions, were virtually dismissed. The dialogue in some places seemed awkward, over the top and in some places, simply too modern. Also, while I thought that Donald Sutherland did a good job with the script that he was given, I did not care for the way Mr. Bennett was written - a lot of the humor in his character was lost.
Having said that, the film was not completely awful. I think that Tom Hollander did a good job and offered a fresh interpretation of Mr. Collins. Of course, Dame Judy Dench was wonderful as Lady Catherine. Brenda Blethyn did a good job as Mrs. Bennett. The scenes of the English countryside were beautiful, the set production was well done and the music, while overbearing at times, was well done.
Overall, if you are unfamiliar with the book or the BBC adaptations (either 1980 or 1995) this version will be very enjoyable. Further, if you are a novice, after you see this, watch the 1995 adaptation with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth as that adaptation is truly wonderful.