Guest Author - Rain Battle
For most of us it is a familiar story: Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have five daughters who they wish to marry off as soon as possible. Their most stubborn daughter, Elizabeth, seems to scare men with her strong opinions. Her parents are just beginning to wonder if she will ever find a suitable husband when Mr. Darcy, an eligible bachelor, becomes a new neighbor.
Matthew MacFadyen is handsome Mr. Darcy, and the Bennet's are delighted with their new neighbor... except for Elizabeth. Keira Knightley strays far away from her role as the butt kicking Domino, portraying the reluctant heroine Elizabeth, who is in no hurry to marry. The Bennet's have other plans for their daughter, assuming a romance will flare up between their daughter and the handsome new neighbor. Unfortunately for the Bennet's, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth dislike each other, almost on sight. After a series of elaborate misunderstandings and hurt feelings, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy actually loathe one another and don't hesitate to make their hatred for each other known.
Eventually, the two enemies are forced to admit that there are romantic feelings between them, however unwanted those feelings may be. Slowly they unravel the misunderstandings and assumptions that have kept them apart and learn why they remained in opposition for so long.
Jane Austen's novels are certainly popular, with nearly as many film adaptions as William Shakespeare's works. Many moviegoers, myself included, were reluctant to see yet another Jane Austen story on the big screen. Not to mention - it's been done. "Pride and Prejudice" was a well made, beloved miniseries back in 1995, and more recently, Bollywood brought the same story to life with "Bride and Prejudice."
Keira Knightley does a fine job of bringing her character to life, and I can't help but wonder if Matthew MacFadyen is John Cusack's long lost twin. The film's cinemetography is gorgeous and Donald Sutherland was a nice surprise as Mr. Bennet. Despite all of its good points, though, I still couldn't help feeling like I was seeing the same story for the millionth time. Perhaps if this version had been my first encounter with Jane Austen's masterpiece, I would be better able to appreciate director Joe Wright's vision because it certainly is one of the best Jane Austen's adaptations I've seen.
