A Gorgeous And Well-Acted Adaptation

Rating: 10/10 (13 October 2012)

Jane Austen's perennially popular story of the game of love among the British upper classes returns to the screen in this polished film adaptation entitled,Pride And Prejudice.It depicts five sisters from an English family of landed gentry as they deal with issues of marriage, morality and misconceptions. Keira Knightley stars in the lead role of Elizabeth Bennet, while Matthew Macfadyen plays her romantic interest Mr. Darcy. Brenda Blethyn,Donald Sutherland,Tom Hollander,Rosamund Pike,Jena Malone and Judi Dench play key supporting roles.
The Bennets are the parents of five daughters near the close of the 18th century. Comfortable within their means but well short of rich, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are looking for suitable husbands for their girls, and they are encouraged to learn that an eligible young bachelor from a wealthy family, Charles Bingley, has moved into a nearby estate. Eager to see if a match can be made, the Bennets bring their daughters Elizabeth and Jane to a ball thrown by their new neighbor to see if sparks will fly. Jane seems to like Charles, and he appears to feel the same, but Elizabeth takes an immediate dislike to Darcy, Charles' egocentric best friend. While Elizabeth is infatuated with military man Lt. Wickham and finds herself courted by William Collins, a well-meaning but drab man of the cloth, fate causes Elizabeth and Darcy to frequently cross paths, and while they don't care for one another, they can't stop thinking about each other, either.
As historically authentic-looking as Pride & Prejudice is, it has far more invested in emotional authenticity as you feel engaged every moment.It is a boisterous, loud, dance-mad kind of place, full of ruddy- faced peasants, dirt and hay. The whole thing feels like it was art- directed by Bruegel on holiday.Also,it's a great adaptation of cinema's fave Jane Austen novel, but key performances and a modern film- making sensibility make this familiar period piece fresh and enjoyable.Finally,it is a gorgeous and well-acted adaptation.