Fresh off the heels of rewatching “Emma”, I was excited to watch this movie (plus, all the commercials had made the movie look terribly romantic). I really thought I would like “Pride and Prejudice” more. I thoroughly enjoyed Emma, but that movie has much more lightness and fun about it. This version of “Pride and Prejudice” isn’t anywhere near as fun to watch.
The story involves the Bennett family, whose matriarch is anxious to marry off her five daughters. They hope to match the eldest, Jane with Mr. Bingley. The engagement seems eminent (though I kept finding myself wondering why as there is only one dance that they attend and converse at) but then suddenly he and his friend Mr. Darcy (played by Matthew Macfadyen here) return to London and the engagement never takes place. The main story, of course, is Elizabeth (the second oldest) and her first dislike for Mr. Darcy and then as she comes to know him, her love for him. But this whole thing felt completely and utterly rushed. When he first proposes to her, I was floored. While there are hints of his feelings for her, it was no where near as obvious as in Emma. While Kiera Knightly is good as Elizabeth, Macfadyen is too dry, too taciturn as Mr. Darcy. There are only the briefest moments of seeing a smile or something there that would help you to understand the feelings Elizabeth comes to have for him. Actions, I suppose, do speak louder than words, and it is because of his actions that Elizabeth falls for him finally seeing the loyal and trustworthy man that he is.
While watching, I found myself wishing that I was either watching “Emma”, or that the movie would be over. At just over 2 hours, the plot feels rushed and really boring at the same time. To be fair, I haven’t seen the longer version with Colin Firth (though my younger sister absolutely loves it, as does fellow movie blogger Tristipie). Perhaps his charisma (and good looks) would be enough to make me want to sit through 300 minutes of “Pride and Prejudice”. The ending does redeem the movie a little bit, but not enough for me to recommend it. But, if you are wanting to watch a shorter version than this is the movie for you.
Rated PG for mild thematic elements.
Related Blogs:
Emma
Pride and Prejudice 1995
Is the Book Better?