Pride and Prejudice

A sweeping, romantic affair, both in terms of cinematography and plot, Joe Wright's version of Jane Austen's tale about social mores, observances and the mating dance is laden with comedy, subtlety and attention to detail - thus, happily, retaining the timbre of the 1813 novel. Mr and Mrs Bennet have 5 daughters, all of whom are coming of age, and Mrs Bennet is most anxious to secure them prosperous marriages to ensure them financially stable futures. However, given their relatively low social standing, this is not a straightforward case of marrying the girls off. On the whole this is an excellent production even if the irony of the ending seems to be lost in the modern translation as much as it was in Austen's day; Wright says: "Pride [and Prejudice] is my first film with a happy ending. Before, I naively thought they were a cop-out, but now I've come to believe that happy endings and wish fulfillment are an incredibly important part of our cultural life."

But back-biting aside; the performances from Sutherland, Knightly and, particularly, Blethyn - whose comedic turns as the silly Mrs Bennet work wonderfully against the intelligent satire of Mr Bennet and Elizabeth - are a joy to behold. The combination of Austen's repartee and Knightley's effortless turn as Elizabeth Bennet see that Lizzie remains one of literature and screen's most interesting and spirited heroines. MacFadyen is a bit of a plank as the cold Mr Darcy, but maybe that's intentional.