A. The best film of it's genre that I've ever seen. Usually movies based on classic English novels have the feel of being made by people who love books, this one feels like it was made by people who love movies. It's so beautifully photographed - the scene with the sculptures or the scene of Lizzie and Jane talking under the sheets in the beginning, for example - and filled with just-right supporting performances. The great Donald Sutherland was robbed of an Oscar nom, it was his best work in at least a decade even though his part was small. Maybe it was too small to get noticed but I liked it.

And that lead gal- she was quite something, wasn't she?

That goes without saying. She was great of course. And even in the small subtle touches, like when she said "Oh Jane, I've been so blind", near the end. Very well done and deserved nomination. But it was an emsemble piece, everyone in it was right for their part. Matthew Macfadyn and Rosumund Pike were also excellen, in fact I plan to rent the Libertine one of these days after seeing Pike's performance in Pride. As much as I like Keira and her performance, and yes it was great, I focused on things that others hadn't mentioned so much to bring it back into balance. It was far from the only good thing about the film.

Knightley did a better job than fellow nominees Theron and Witherspoon, that's for sure.

I credit the cast for making me like a film which poorly adapts one of my favorite novels. I know they wanted to make it more modern by catching the time period, so the film plays more like Wuthering Heights, but KKnightly, Sutherloand, Blethyn, McFayden, Pike were all so good I got past my reservations on them mucking with my beloved Jane Austen.

Ripper, is Pride and Prejudice your favourite novel?

It did seem like Wuthering Heights at the end. And I wasn't too fond of the last short scene that was tacked on for American audiences, it should have ended right before that.

But in the end I judge movies on their own, not compared to the source materials or (in the case of Munich) aspirations to political relevance. Goblet of Fire butchered the book, for example, but I still liked the movie.

B

Very enjoyable watch, but I was the slightest bit disappointed.

It really is Keira's movie start to finish, what a brilliant performance. Perhaps the best compliment I can give, other than the fact that Bennett is so fleshed out, layered, and loveable, is the fact that in spite of giving a dominating performance, she never ever blows anyone off the screen and is always a complete part of the story. It's one of the best female performances in years, but never overpowering... she is Bennett. I actually would've easily gaven her the Oscar, 05 was a pretty weak year for female performances, and I feel Witherspoon's was a bit overpraised. But then again I'm kind of happy she didn't get it, winning an Oscar so young would be nuts, there'd be no where to go but down. She has work to do now.

The rest of the cast is also great, MacFayden doesn't do much but be grim, but there is a gentle pained soul feel to him. Good work by him, though I'm not as estactic as yosh. Rosamund Pike was very lovely as Jane, having that shy side (PS Was I the only one who thought she was Audrey Tautou the whole time? I looked on imdb after and was all, what, Audrey Tautou wasn't in this movie? Who's Rosamund Pike? lol), and Donald Sutherland was his normal good self.

Joe Wright's direction, cinematography, and set design is stunning. Not only the landscapes, fields, cliffs, etc., but the towns and houses, the dances, the period piece feel... I also loved how everyone would be moving and doing different things at once in shots, it gave a very lively and real feel.

The screenplay is sharp as hell, though I suspect a lot is lifted from the book? (I confess, I've never read P&P) Some of the first back and forths between Elizabeth and Darcy I missed, it took 20 minutes to catch onto the speed of the dialogue. Very funny, layered writing, these are all real people here.

What this all adds up to, is that as a production P&P is flawless... it's beautiful filmmaking. So why am I not giving it a higher grade? Because I admit I'm not a fan of the story. It'd probably come easier to me if I read the novel, but I never really bought Elizabeth and Darcy's love. It was kind of the old romcom rule of "Well, if I spend enough time with this person I loathe, I'll love him by the end of the week" ... Darcy didn't do much for me in general. It seemed like he got all his brownie points by paying for Lydia, as Goldie said. But then again, this IS the 1800s. You just needed to not hate someone to marry him. So I guess in a way it's ... realistic? Also, I'm in the camp of the last few minutes being real korny. Realll korny. A departure from the smooth dialogues of the rest of the movie.

Some other little things bothered me about the film. Bingley's original departure was hazy.... Would he just give up on someone he loved because Darcy told him to? Bit odd. When Charlotte announces she's marrying Mr. Colins(hilarious performance btw), it doesn't resonate because all I was thinking was "Wait, who's Charlotte?" ... I honestly didn't know whether she was a sister, cousin, friend, I hadn't noticed her in the film before that. Similarly, when Lydia runs off with Wiccum, it didn't resonate with me because I literally had no idea which of the sisters Lydia was... The fact that she was a brat bitch, revealed sometime before going out in public originally, was a surprise. The sisters away from Elizabeth and Lydia were indistinguishable for me... You only have so much screentime, but for a character spawning a big plot point like Lydia, she could've been given more early on. Just one private scene between her and Keira or something.

The other big problem I had with the movie is that it had a format of surprise event, another surprise event, another surprise event, another surprise event, etc. It felt like 2 hours of Austen packing on more plot points, the movie never really slowed down with the plot it had and just let the characters go, there always was another surprise and story movement along the corner. Elizabeth and Darcy could've used at least 3 more warming up scenes, again going back to the fact that the love story didn't work all that well (for me).

Wow, that's the longest review I've ever written. In short:

Production/acting, writing, etc. - wise - A+

The rest - C+

final - B

It's become an all-time favorite of mine, a wonderful movie.

I can't waaaaaaait for Atonement.

A beautiful film. Too bad it was boring.

B

This movie is so fucking good.

I have very fond memories of this one till the first 2 halfs. The third half not being very good.

A nice adaptation of the book that communicates what makes the story so lasting and popular. Made me want to watch the 90’s miniseries.