Quite a letdown

Rating: 5/10 (23 November 2005)

I am an avid fan of the novel, and although I am exceedingly fond of the 1995 mini series (I own it on DVD, watch it every so often, and have memorized several lines by heart!), I watched this newest version with an open mind. I didn't want to be prejudiced against it or end up being too proud to admit that it was good.
Alas, however hard I tried, I could not bring myself to fully embrace it. To be sure, it is a visually gorgeous film and generally well-acted (I thought Brenda Blethyn was excellent). But by the end, I was stunned that I had felt so unmoved. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are two of the most popular and beloved figures in literature, and yet watching the movie, I didn't find myself caring for them in the least.
Keira Knightley is lovely and a competent actress. But perhaps it's because she has had so much exposure lately that I couldn't distance her persona from the character of Elizabeth. People often rave about actors disappearing into their roles. Unfortunately, in this film, the spirit and substance of Elizabeth eluded me, and all I could see was....... Keira.
As for the ending that a lot of people seem to swoon over, it affected me only to the degree that it induced a gag reflex and made me cringe.