A for Effort, but that's not enough.

Rating: 7/10 (27 November 2005)

"Pride & Prejudice" (2005), directed by Joe Wright, is an honest--but not very effective--attempt to bring Jane Austen's novel to the screen.
The plot of the novel and the film boils down to the love/hate relationship between Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) and Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen). I thought MacFayden was adequate as Darcy, although possibly somewhat coarse in appearance and manners. (Darcy is a snob, but he should be portrayed as an elegant snob.)
Keira Knightley obviously works hard at portraying Elizabeth Bennet. She's a fine actor, but she's very much a 21st Century woman, and I had trouble accepting her in this period piece.
Unfortunately, I never caught any true chemistry between the two lead actors, and, without that, nothing else can really work well.
Simon Woods was miscast and/or misdirected in his role as Mr. Bingley. Bingley may not have the strength of character that Darcy has, but he shouldn't be portrayed as a callow fool.
All the other actors did a competent job, especially Rosamund Pike who was luminous as Jane Bennet (Elizabeth's older sister), and Kelly Reilly, as the very beautiful and vicious Caroline Bingley.
The outdoor scenes were predictably colorful--what director can resist dogs, pigs, geese, chickens, ducks, and swans in a period film? However, I found these scenes--as well as the ball scenes--to be overly orchestrated and too meticulous.
Finally, I can't see how any discussion of this film could suggest that it was overly sexual. I can't even understand why it was given a PG rating--I think G would have been more appropriate. There's one instance of male nudity, but the genitalia belong to a pig. There's one instance of female nudity, but the female portrayed is a statue. There are many reasons to see or not see "Pride and Prejudice," but excessive sexuality shouldn't be among them.
In summary, I think this movie represents a sincere attempt at the cinematic portrayal of a great work of fiction. I think the director didn't succeed in this attempt, but the film isn't a disaster, and it's worth seeing as long as you're not expecting a masterpiece.