Shallow characterizations, so-so acting, but visually sumptuous

Rating: 7/10 (2 December 2006)

What an over-rated film!!!! no wonder HBO is underplaying it; they're barely showing it! the always-terrific Brenda Blethyn saved the day for me; she stole every scene she was in. For those who have not read the books, and/or seen earlier versions, i suppose this was a thrill. but so much character development was lost in the service of showing off Keira K., whose range as an actress is quite limited, that it did a great disservice to Jane Austen.
It came off as the "lite" version...so very much of the delicious nuance lost in translation...Lady Catherine de Beauve (now Buck????). Wickham not fleshed out. Lady Caroline Bingham (Frieda Inescort has no competition) was a total CIPHER, no bite, no real bitchiness nor hauteur. Collins, although seemingly a fool, was much better served by other actors, altho' there was something endearing about this portrayal.
It greatly bothered me that other important supporting characters--Mary and Kitty, Darcy's sister, were relegated to non-roles, a few moments, at best.
BUT, the WORST OFFENSES i will reserve for: 1: this MacFayden fellow, lol, absolutely no match for Sir Olivier nor Colin Firth and, 2: by having Darcy profess his love one hour into a 2-hr. film, ALL dramatic tension was LOST. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Stupid, even.
I guess it's the Cliff Notes film version, for a generation with no patience.
One positive note: i did appreciate the attention to detail...that the Bennets lived among cows and swine, the preoccupation with ribbons -- these are important details missing other times.
PLUS: Elizabeth's visit to Darcy's sculpture hall --- that scene, plus the elk herd-- were moments of genius, imho.