Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Directed by Joe Wright. Starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Rosamund Pike, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Tom Hollander, Simon Woods, Jena Malone, Carey Mulligan, Kelly Reilly, Claudie Blakley, Judi Dench, Rupert Friend, Talulah Riley, Cornelius Booth, Penelope Winton, Peter Wight. [PG]

Revitalization of Jane Austen’s stuffy “comedy of manners” prose as a gleaming costume drama that rearranges focus largely onto just one of the Bennet sisters—Elizabeth (Knightley)—and how her intrigued interest in dour, proud bachelor Mr. Darcy (Macfadyen) transforms from antipathy to ardor. For those who aren’t purists, about as splendid a production as can be made out of the tome, emphasizing romantic splendor over the toneless and twerpy satirical elements, pushing the time period back a couple of decades, and adding a few gentles touches of more progressive social attitudes. Handsomely mounted and exquisitely photographed, capturing not just scenic splendor but the mood to suit moony romantic yearning and petty social squabbles alike. The cast is more cohesive than the tonal shifts and rambling dialogue, including a star-making turn from Knightley and some flavorful supporting performances (does Dench ever do wrong?). Those who swear by the source novel, however, may find more to denounce. Emma Thompson (no stranger to Austen adaptations) performed an uncredited script rewrite, earning her a “special thanks” at the end. Mulligan’s film debut.

76/100