Wonderful; Highly Recommended

Rating: 10/10 (5 December 2005)

My daughter (age 19) and I loved this movie when we saw it the first time, and we loved it even more when we saw it again, the very next day! And, we can't wait to see it again as soon as she comes home from college for Christmas break.
This is a delightful, joyful movie, not ponderous as some period movies can be. Even the costumes and hairstyles were not overdone. Most of the actors did an excellent job.* However, to me, the movie belongs to Keira Knightley who was captivating and wonderfully conveyed Elizabeth's intelligence, spirit, and humor. In the book, Darcy's admiration of Elizabeth's "fine" eyes was often mentioned. He referred to their expression, color and shape. Keira's eyes are so beautiful and expressive that it's hard to take your own eyes off of her when she's on the screen.
At first, I thought Matthew MacFadyen was too stiff as Darcy, to the point that he seemed to have no personality; but my opinion improved as the movie progressed, and especially during our second viewing of the movie. Note: To catch a glimpse of Darcy's rare and gorgeous smile, be sure to watch the scene when Darcy is introducing Elizabeth to his sister.
This is a wonderful movie.
* (one exception was Carey Mulligan who played Kitty Bennet; I thought she overdid the gigglingwhich may have been faulty direction, rather than faulty acting).