Movie #134 -- Pride and Prejudice

Title: Pride and Prejudice

Director: Joe Wright

Release Year: 2005

Plot Summary: Elizabeth Bennet has spunk. She likes this dude, Mr. Darcy, and he may or may not like her back.

Thoughts: ANYTHING Keira Knightley. Put her anywhere on the screen and I'll watch. You could probably put my infront of a black screen for a while and tell me that it was a movie about her and I'd sit there for at least fifteen minutes before feeling like an idiot. That being said, this is a really good movie. Of course, you'd have to be a collosal idiot to mess up the source material.

My first impression of this movie (other the fact that Keira Knightley is really, really hot) was that Keira Knightley can actually act as she earned a well-deserved Oscar nod. The sets are fantastic, the costuming is perfect, and the direction of Joe Wright (who?) is above par. Donald Sutherland is terrific as Mr. Bennet and it would have been nice to see an Academy Award nomination thrown his way (I would have taken it over George Clooney's performance in Syrriana any day). My only complaints with the casting are Jenna Malone and Judy Dench, who I usually like. I don't know... they were just kind of annoying.

Sure, the language is a little too flowery for some (it was a bit annoying at first, "It's a very well-to-do family, sir." and shit like that). And sure, you're not really sure why Elizabeth Bennet falls in love with Mr. Darcy, because he is, let's face it, kind of a douchebag.

That being said, I would like to see the BBC mini-series of this that came out some ten years ago, as I understand that it is fantastic. This version was too short, but I understand the limitations placed on movies... You really can't have a 4 hour movie like this and expect most people to stay with it the whole time.

Rating (0-10): 7.6. Sure, there's a "Knightley" factor involved, I'm not gonna lie, but it is a fantastic movie in and of itself.

Recommendations: Highly recommended. Rent it, indeed. Does it bear repeated viewings? Only if you're obsessed like I am.