This is a visually ravishing feast based on the celebrated novel by Ian McEwen. James Mcavoy excels, and there is good support work from the likes of Benedict Cumberpatch and Harriet Walter. I struggled at times with Keira Knightly. I just didn't think she inhabited the part in quite the way she should have. But this is a small bit of nitpicking. Joe Wright directed this with exceptional flair. The cinematography was excellent. Some beautiful compositions and the colours were ravishing and there was a real sense of scale to many of the big set pieces. My reservations are that despite everything I wasn't as moved by the climax as I felt I was supposed to be. I felt that much effort had been made to build to an emotional resolution but somehow it left me feeling cold. Something about it felt a little contrived for my taste. I read the novel shortly afterwards and I can see that something about the climax is more satisfying in novel form.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Lost in Austen
(2008)
Brilliant!
12 September 2008
Hard to imagine how this could be better. The casting is close to perfect. Mr and Mrs Bennet as played by Hugh Bonneville and Alex Kingston quickly outshine previous inhabitants of these roles. This Mrs Bennet is neurotic but also strong, and Mr Bennet is suitably acidic but also very affable and easy to like. The Bennet sisters are very well presented. Jane has a very gentle quality. Kitty and Lydia and Mary are a pleasure to see on screen. Gemma Arterton is as impressive as we would expect in the role of Lizzie. Best of all is Jemima Rooper as Amanda, a fine young actress who here gets the chance to take centre stage and to properly show us what she can do. The men inhabit their parts well - some very good work from Tom Riley as Wickhan, Eliot Cowan as a smouldering Mr Darcy and Tom Mison as a very winning Mr Bingley. Christina Cole is on great icy form as Mr Bingley's sister. And Mr Collins is truly repulsive as played by Guy Henry, looking like the grim reaper and finding a grotesque comedy in this very oily character. But what is most clever about this new 'spin' on Pride and Prejudice is the way it takes a story we all think we know and then turns it upside down. Guy Andrews writes very funny dialogue for both Amanda as a modern woman and the characters we know from Jane Austen. The comic set pieces are directed with real aplomb by Dan Zeff, but it's also surprisingly moving at times. Costumes and sets all look good. Having seen this I don't know how we'll take another 'straight' Austen adaptation seriously again!
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