Simply Beautiful

Rating: 10/10 (16 April 2009)

Joe Wright's 2005 movie representation of Jane Austen's classic "Pride and Prejudice" was impeccable – it cannot be criticized negatively. This movie was perfect. I have to say at the outset that I have seen this movie a handful of times, and every time I see it I am totally stress-free and calm. You cannot watch this movie and be stressed out. Rarely does a movie director get it right when trying to present a movie representation of a great literary work. Joe Wright gets it right, no pun intended. The actors chosen for each part were phenomenal. Speaking of characters, I appreciated the fact that the husband does show some affection towards Mrs. Bennett at different points in the movie – an improvement, if that is not too sacrilegious to say, on the way Austen portrays the husbands attitude towards his wife in the book as having chosen poorly and having to live with the consequences – literally. Knightly and MacFadyen do an exquisite job in their leading roles. The dynamics between the Bennetts and the interplay of dialogue, or at some points banter, are quite convincing and just downright fun. This movie is a romance in the most wonderful sense of the word. Sure, normal people do not have amazing soundtracks playing when they are happy, contemplative, or upset, – and it was an amazing soundtrack- and normal life does not always end perfectly; but sometimes there are moments or even days when life with all of its joy and sorrow is a beautiful experience. Wright reminds us of this.