Yearing to see it again

Rating: 9/10 (4 October 2005)

I can tell you it is beautiful, funny, heartbreaking and the UK version leaves you aching to see it again......and again......and again.
The distributors in the US rather patronisingly IMO decided to give what us Brits and I'm sure most intelligent Yanks would call a Hollywood Ending and much as I will enjoy seeing it in the deleted scenes part of the DVD I am glad it's not on our edit. I was lucky enough to see a Q & A where Joe & Keira both agreed that the UK version felt right. They even went to the trouble of re-shooting the ending to see if they could make the Hollywood one work but were still not satisfied.
I hope that's not too much info.
Joe Wright and Deborah Moggach have truly understood the medium of film (as opposed to TV serial drama) and distilled a wonderful story running at just over two hours from a richly textured book in such a way that stuns belief. You know there are tons of things left out but you really don't miss them. Joe said he was sad they couldn't afford to cover any of Jane's trip to London but it doesn't spoil the story. It feels totally complete. The cinematography is beautiful both from the colour and texture point of view and also the intimacy of close-ups on long lenses. Some shots are immensely complicated but they make them look so easy.
I'm sure you've all read that this is very much concentrating on the view from Elizabeth Bennet's eyes and this actually gives rise to enormous humour. It is not observational (as you so often find in costume drama), it is personal and intimate. I am so NOT a Keira fan but she does lend herself to this character beautifully and I do have to remind myself that she is so very young still and really does give a performance that shows experience and maturity (of technique - I'm not saying she appears too old for the part!).
Matthew Macfadyen is wonderful and the way he is directed is so clever. For the first third of the film when Lizzie has dismissed him in her mind he is always just out of focus, wandering around in the background stealing glances of her and turning away as soon as she looks like she might see him.
I am sure that Matthew's dialogue could be condensed to no more than 15 pages of script but in the way that so few actors are able, he coveys 20 more pages with a few moves of facial muscle or something in his gait. I would say that 60 per cent of his storyline is communicated without words and this is where Matthew is so incredible. He leaves you aching to help him. His Darcy is so vulnerable, so confused and so inadequate to the task of unravelling his emotions. He really does not know what to do with himself. He has such huge responsibilities which he takes so seriously and yet he is bewitched by this woman and lacks the experience to cope with it. The sadness in Matthew's eyes as he struggles to work out what he can do next to win her over (or even just contrive to look at her for five seconds) is so heart wrenching. The way his voice catches when he DOES have the chance to talk to her. This enormous great man, in both stature and standing, seems so very tiny in her presence.
I can't finish this without giving huge mention to the pitch perfect performance (a lot of alliteration for an anxious anchorwoman - name that film!) of Tom Hollander. He almost steals the film and I had the uncontrollable shoulder shaking giggles at one of his scenes.
I could tell you the best bits but they will be real spoilers. I envy anyone who is looking forward to seeing this for the first time.
I keep telling people who have reservations about seeing the film exactly how funny it is and they immediately think I mean 'unintentionally funny'. It is SO intentionally funny and it's not like a regular costume drama at all. It's so tactile and enveloping.