Good in parts

Rating: 6/10 (7 November 2005)

Handicapped by never having read any of Jane Austen's novels, I can't comment on the accuracy of this film adaptation, although I can certainly see that its relatively breakneck pace must have entailed considerable sacrifices in pace and plot development. A very obvious example (to me anyway) was the way in which the actor playing Darcy has to reinvent his character in a most unbelievable way - from arrogant upper-class bastard to shy, misunderstood victim of a dysfunctional upbringing in the space of less than two hours is just too big an ask.
It's a handsome enough production, though, and the frequent presence of farm animals reminds us that the Bennets and others of their ilk had to get their money somehow (preferably by the sweat of someone else's brow) - also the merest of reminders that the late 18th century was by our standards very much on the nose.
In the end, though, I was prevented from entirely surrendering to this movie by a few too many jarring notes. To begin with, Donald Sutherland made a most unsatisfactory Mr Bennet, giving every appearance of being a befuddled and incoherent street person who'd wandered onto the set and been offered the job by mistake. I spent the movie wondering where he kept his stash of rotgut liquor.
Add to this the fact that his wife and two of his younger daughters are so deeply annoying that you want to strangle them at every turn, and it's a wonder that they get invited anywhere (but they do).
I found the scene in which Darcy and Bingley arrive at the ball difficult to credit. Could two apparently untitled aristocrats really have precipitated such an abrupt, extended and total silence, verging on awe? I could believe members of the Royal Family having that effect, or even Darcy and his pal among a crowd of forelock-tugging peasants, but not county society, I would have thought. I'm open to correction on that one, though.
And I agree with the reviewer who wondered how the Bennet girl could fall for that twit Bingley. As played, young Bingley is a complete and utter gormless twerp, and not good-looking either. I'm inclined to think that Jane really was a little gold-digger.