I would have loved it, if it were not for the BBC series

Rating: 7/10 (19 November 2010)

Definitely the best Pride and Prejudice adaptation is the BBC series with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. That wonderful series just ruined all other P&P movies for me:). So I think that doing a movie after the huge success the BBC series had is a very courageous thing to do and pretty risky too.
So in spite of the good acting from Keira Knightley, of the original approach of the character of Mr. Collins (he's a real cheeky pervert!), Mrs. Bennet (first time you see that this woman is indeed a loving mother, who worries over the fate and future of her 5 daughters) and Harriet (she's an old maid and a burden to her family, so for her marrying Mr. Collins is a blessing and an escape), of the little symbols and details (the 5 virgins living in a house surrounded by a river, like a castle or convent), the absolutely superb British landscapes and the sometimes perfect filming technique (I love how he shows the different windows of the house and we can see what each one is doing), there's still something missing...and I guess it's due to 2 things: first, the chemistry between Darcy and Elizabeth is not so obvious at times, mainly due to the actor playing Darcy (forgot his name); second, Keira is playing Elizabeth as such a powerful personality that poor Darcy just gets crushed under it and gives you the impression he's just Prince Charming waiting to come in and swoop the princess. The conflict is all in Keira, none in Darcy, which is so sad since Darcy is one of the most beloved romantic characters in literature, alongside Heathcliff, Rhett Butler and Romeo.
It's a really good movie, but personally I feel that it does not manage to surpass the brilliancy of the BBC series and the amazing on screen chemistry between Colin and Jennifer. Colin especially had such looks sometimes that you got the shivers down your spine and knots in your stomach. Didn't feel much of that here except perhaps the Pavilion scene...