Characters, cinematography, music, acting, production - all great. Go and see it.

Rating: 10/10 (26 September 2005)

Wonderful adaptation of the classic.
As a fan of the BBC TV series, I arrived expecting to be disappointed. I could imagine Matthew MacFadyen as Mr Darcy after his great role in Spooks, but must say I was sceptical of the casting of Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Bennet) and Rosamund Pike (Jane Bennet). Was I wrong! Casting was spot on and the cinematography was a visual feast. I loved the contrast between the slightly-down-at-heel Bennet house and the Great Houses. Music was wonderful throughout, as were the immersive, pulsating scenes at the Balls.
The story remained very faithful to the book (as far as I can remember!), with the editing along the lines of a "Readers Digest Condensed Book" contraction rather than wholesale re-writing. Few liberties taken here, thankfully, and those quite acceptable in the interests of fitting to the feature length.
Music, acting, production - all great. Go and see it. A new entry on my "favourite movies" list.