Pride & Prejudice (2005)
I am not familiar with this story or Jane Austen in general, so I can’t really judge how well it does as an adaptation. It took me a while to get used to the whole style where everyone acts and talks very restrained and extremely formal, but then I could appreciate all the subtle details in their body language and non-verbal expressions. The aristocratic lifestyle really shines through with how everyone is constantly trying to keep up appearances, making it just the more interesting once they lower their guard and show some honesty and authenticity.
I appreciated how the love story wasn’t exactly a “love at first sight”, more like the opposite, where it developed over a longer time. Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen are both giving wonderful performances as two people that both struggle with what is expected of them by their families.
The world is like a classic oil painting from the romantic era, giving it a dreamlike vibe with gorgeous set designs but not overly rooted in reality. Even though it has clear themes about class differences, it was a bit hard to engage with it since both families are clearly very rich. Just one family way richer than the other.
It doesn’t quite hit the high marks from me because it seems like there could be more depths and nuances from these characters we don’t get to see. I am curious how the BBC adaptation handles it, which seems to be generally more well regarded in that aspect.
Rating: 3.5