Pride Prejudice DVD with Keira Knightley, Moya Brady, Judi Dench (PG) +Movie Reviews +Used DVD available for Swap

I'm a Firth/BBC fan, and I still loved it!

Toomuchtimeonmyhands | hellay, CA | 01/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, I am a rabid Frith and BBC fan of the miniseries, but I was very impressed with this adaption and found it refershing in it's grounded, youthful take on the story.

For starters, there is a very grounded nature to the presentation of the story. Some Austenites got their knickers into a twist because they thought it made the family and their circumstances too drab looking. But I loved it! The Meryton Assembly basically sets the stage for this grounded approach-the dancing looks a little heavy footed, the girls look sweaty, and you can't help but think that someone needs to open a window cause it looks awfully sweaty! But at the same time,it made the story come alive, like you were a fly on the wall, peeking in on Lizzy and Darcy and the rest of the gang.

Lastly, I loved the youthful take on the story. I LOVE Firth and Ehle as the '95 leads. They had this chemistry and sensual tension that was electric! But their take was definitely from a mature standpoint-like the way I'd act now as a 33 year old woman. Whereas Macfadyen and Knightley? Theirs is a more youthful, innocent, first love take that I just took to. Great chemistry, Lizzy's a little less cocksure, Darcy's a bit more unbalanced by this attraction, and it felt right in terms of age and stage of development with the actual characters in the book.

Great adaption, brisk storytelling, and a wonderfully irreverent tone by a fun director who knew it was a good idea to knock the pedestal off from under our Lizzy and Darcy, and let them be seen in a more grounded light. And ps-I thought Macfadyen, even though he doesn't have that big of a part, was a great Darcy!"

Enjoy for what it is--not Firth but wonderful!

avid reader in Colorado | 01/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, I'll admit it: I've gone to the theater to see this 6 or 7 times already--I've lost count; I'm thrilled that the DVD is coming out sooner rather than later.

No, this is not the much-loved 1995 multi-hour A&E version. And no, MacFaydan is not Firth, and Knightly is not Ehle. And some liberties were taken with the original storyline (sometimes a bit disconcerting like Lady Catherine's night time visit?? and Bingley entering Jane's sickroom, even before knocking?? "simply not done" in those days!).

But I very much agree with the positive reviewers below --this version is MOST enjoyable on its own. The scenery, photography, and music are gorgeous (you must buy the CD!). Darcy and Elizabeth are still wonderfully Darcy and Elizabeth. It was a little disconcerting at first to see so much mud, livestock, and plain gowns--but you get past that fairly quickly. And it seems maybe a bit more realistic for country gentry.

BTW--if you're a P&P addict like me, don't miss Pamela Aiden's Darcy trilogy--it tells the entire story from Darcy's viewpoint and fills in a lot of what I think is missing. Also, if you have wondered what might have happened after the wedding and like a "spicier" novel, read Linda Berdoll's "Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife" (Austen meets Bronte and Sandra Brown)."

A lackluster attempt at a new P&P DVD release

L. Conway | 11/14/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Yet another re-release DVD, promising more special features when any regular fan, like myself, already has the first DVD release.

About this DVD:

1st Disc: Is the exact DVD released prior to this one. It has the widescreen movie version and all the same features on the previous DVD release.

2nd Disc: This is the new disc with "extra" special features including...
-Fullscreen movie version.
-"The Politics of Dating" - A short feature with cast, crew, and director talking about modern vs. P&P time dating (i.e. dancing, the 'touch', etc). Most of the interview clips are recycled from what we've previously seen on the first disc special features. And brought little to nothing new to the table and lasted around 7 minutes.
-"Galleries of the 19th Century" - Interactive photo gallery. Fun.
-"The Stately Homes of Pride and Prejudice" - A small handful of about 5 minute interviews with cast, crew, and director talking about the different locations they worked at. New stuff, but nothing exceptionally interesting that lasts for long.
-"Pride and Prejudice Family Tree" - A DVD menu telling us how the characters in the movie are related. It is pointless and useless, nothing interesting or new.
-And that's IT.

Packaging:
It's absolutely gorgeous. I think all the money was spent on the box rather than putting together a decent 2nd disc. The package is made to look and open like a book. It's a great, beautifully designed set that is hard to resist if you saw it in stores.

Booklet:
A booklet was included in this set with some new, unseen photographs and talk about costumes, characters, and music. It's basically like a scrapbook of images and tidbits of various cast and crew's thoughts.

Included:
The soundtrack is included in a paper sleeve along with a ticket for director Joe Wright's upcoming film Atonement.

Conclusion: If you were hoping for new interviews with the cast and director, unseen behind the scenes footage, deleted scenes, or anything worth shelling out more money to buy another DVD for, then you will be severely disappointed. If you're like me, and already own both the movie and soundtrack this really isn't worth the $28 buy. Because ultimately you're just getting just a pretty box, another copy of the DVD you already own, and a throwaway extra disc. But if you don't have the DVD or soundtrack yet, then I say go for this set because it will be worth the extra money to get both the movie and soundtrack, and flashy box.

I give it 2 stars for the pitiful attempt at "exclusive all-new features""

A Great and Fun Version

Xaphania | 01/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First, to all of the Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth lovers (of which, I am one), we will always have that remarkable masterpiece. Therefore, we should be able to judge any new versions freely. Having said that, this version is great!

This movie is quite shorter than what we're used to for P&P adaptations and at first it seemed to me that the dialogue was rushed, but after the first 15 minutes it either slowed down or I ceased to notice it, until Darcy's proposal scene anyway, but it worked quite well there.

This film is also much more of a comedy than the two BBC versions. There were minor changes with dialogue but none of the changes lessened any of the characters or the spirit of the story. Instead, it probably enhanced the feelings the audience shared with the characters. In fact, I think that everything left out of the two previous BBC versions were added to this one so you still get something new from the same story.

One major change is the loss of Mr. and Mrs. Hurst. In a two-hour movie there just isn't enough time to do their characters justice. The rest of the cast is so marvelous though that we barely notice they're missing and it makes the movie flow more naturally.

The actors chosen are wonderful in their parts. I didn't think I'd be able to accept Keira Knightley as Elizabeth but after the first five minutes I was completely taken in by her. She pulls off Elizabeths witty dialogue like, well... Elizabeth and just as Jennifer Ehle added some distinctive traits to Lizzie, so does Keira. She wonderfully manages to show us Lizzie's love of a good laugh without making it seem as though she was a giggling loony and every time she smiles, we smile with her.
I won't critique all the performances but I have to add that Donald Sutherland really does a spectacular job as the head of a household of silly women. The last scene with him and Lizzie had me in tears.

Not to say that this movie was perfect, what adaptation can be without some faults or silly alterations? None are too serious though. The first is at the Meryton ball, when Darcy, Bingley and Caroline walk in, everything stops. The music, the dancing, all conversation and the crowd parts to offer them a path. I thought for a second the crowd had mistaken Mr. Bingley for royalty. It just seemed a bit over the top. But it passed quickly enough. The other was actually Darcy's proposal scene which was done in the rain. I thought it silly that he would follow her outside in such weather to propose, but one can accept that in view of the other changes that turned out so well.
I give this movie 5 stars because I wouldn't want to miss it and I don't think any P&P fan should.
All in all, if you have a good sense of humor and aren't afraid to laugh, like Elizabeth, you will just enjoy the story as it is played out. Remember, afterwards you can always put Jennifer and Colin Firth back in the DVD player."

Younger, Fiercer, (sometimes even) Better

G. Toscano | Pasig, Philippines | 01/15/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've always loved Pride and Prejudice. More so, when I discovered the BBC version, most fondly known as the Colin Firth version. I have nothing but praised for that mini-series, and I have fallen in love with the story even more. I love how repressed and snooty Darcy is, how charmingly snarky Lizzie can be. There was also a sense of maturity in the mini-series, and most probably, it was influenced by the casting of older actors that resulted in that. It worked well for them. All in all, the numerous times that I have watched it in entirety is a testament to my love for it. And then I hear there's a new version coming out with Keira Knightley as Lizzie and some guy as Darcy. How dare they attempt to remake it, when possibly the definitive version has already been done?!

I have heard that many Austen purists are in uproar over this and I can see why. It's not your mother's Jane Austen, for one thing -- while some may think that's an insult, I mean it as a compliment. This new version is less polite, less genteel; it's also less repressed and more in-your-face, well, as in-your-face one can be in breeches and cravats. Whereas the BBC version used its 6 hours to meet and match and flirt and separate the characters, the movie has less of that luxury so it makes up for it by being more fiery and earthier, more emotional and even more confrontational. It's also very young,in the best sense of the word. It's fresh and new, and I would have love to see this version fleshed out to its full width and breadth, rather than just the abbrieviated version that I watched. But even then, the experience is wonderfully involving. Here, emotions are always on the verge of breaking through the surface, making the passions more heightened and the anguish more excuciating. And love is felt in all its giddy, painful, confusing glory. A lot has to be said for Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen taking on roles that have been done (and brilliantly before). Yet I actually like their new takes on the characters: Knightley's Lizzie is less polished but equally as witty and charming, while MacFadyen's Darcy is less self-possesed and more vulnerable but equally as snooty (and later adorably, meltingly romantic).

I love the touches that made this movie fresh:

1) The characters of Jane and Bingley are more defined, and that's something that is better than the mini-series. There, she comes out as bland while he seems almost retarded while here, Jane's more animated and self-possessed while Bingley is charmingly nervous, adorably shy and sweet-tempered.

2) During the dance, when they were arguing and suddenly, only the two of them are left dancing and sniping at each other -- this is a very imaginative take on the whole cliche of having eyes for only one person, even in the midst of a dance and in the middle of an argument.

3) The almost kiss after Lizzie rejected Darcy. The look on his face was so wonderful, seeing as we can view how much it was hurting him to turn away while she was surprised at her seeming to want him to kiss her. *sigh* They are so attracted to one another depite hating each other's guts. Lovely...and soooo hot. (p.s. I so wanted to hug and kiss him for that little boy lost look when he realzied that she said no to him).

I thought I would never see anyone else fill Darcy's shoes but Colin Firth but in this version, Matthew MacFadyen acquits himself wonderfully and so deos Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennett."

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