I finally watched
Pride & Prejudice this morning, as in 2am morning. [laughs]
Being such a fan of anything
Pride and Prejudice, you'd think I'd have rushed out the moment it came out in theaters instead of waiting for it this long. Believe me, I wanted to, but such things aren't always so easy. [laughs] Anyway, I feel like talking about it, and since about one and a half people read this, I can rant on and on...and on and on...and on and on. xD
[Thoughts Beforehand]I was a bit worried. Keira Knightley wasn't my top Elizabeth and I didn't hold any prior fondness for her from what I'd seen--a sort of indifference, really. Matthew Macfadyen. Who's that, you ask?
Exactly. [laughs] I had no clue about him, though I'd heard his name before, so I couldn't say what I really thought of him being Mr Darcy.
Now, on a side-ish note, a lot of P&P fans just adore the 1995 miniseries with Colin Firth as Darcy--I won't lie, I'm one of those people; I fucking love it and I fucking love Colin Firth. [laughs] (Though it must be said that I wasn't quite a fan until I saw him in P&P, even though I'd loved him greatly as the Vicomte de Valmont in Valmont--he's vaaaastly sexier as Darcy, be it P&P or Bridget Jones. ^^)
[Initial Thoughts]The grunge.Far from the pretty, prim, proper looks of previous film adaptations that I've laid eyes upon, this was more real, and you can see it right away. The Bennets living their country existence really shows through. In the miniseries version (which one can't help but compare it to, seeing as it's probably still the most popular adaptation), you have to stop and think, "Wait, these people are supposed to be poor?" because it honestly doesn't seem so. They seem quite comfortable, but in this version, you get a more genuine view on their situation. Some probably wouldn't like that--I loved it.
Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Bennet).
Upon first glance I thought she looked rather sick, more of a Jane Eyre than a Lizzie Bennet. Wasn't quite sure what to think, but I wanted to stay neutral and see what she was capable of.
[Moving Along; Actors, Actors]Knightley began to seem less and less like a Jane Eyre to me, and pretty quickly at that. She seemed to fit quite snugly in the role of Elizabeth, holding that independent spirit about her near-tangibly. I also liked that Knightley didn't look too made-up. She wasn't as beautiful as the ever-lovely Jane, played by Rosamund Pike (who is just
wow! haha), but she was beautiful in her own earthy, natural way. Besides, she isn't supposed to be as pretty as Jane. No one is. [laughs]
Matthew Macfadyen (Mr Darcy).Well. It seems every on-screen Darcy is instructed to have a majorly gigantasaur stick up his arse upon first entrance, and Macfadyen sticks to that principle hardcore, and appropriately so. [laughs] Good gods, I was just
cringing under that gaze! Nice job there, haha! He didn't appear horribly attractive or anything (but do they ever?) and I was waiting for more of him to show before making any proper judgements.
Simon Woods (Mr Bingley).Adorable! The two or three other Bingleys I've seen were annoying and forgettable, and the type of guy you wonder why Jane loves. [laughs] But Woods was absolutely wonderful--far surpassing the other Mr Bingleys and far surpassing my expectations of him. I loved how rebelliously
modern that hair of his looked. ;D So it was a bit out of place and distracting me for quite a while, but I rather liked it. The way he acted out such a clumsy demeanour while not making it obnoxious was great--perfect.
Tom Hollander (Mr Collins).[just laughs] What an awesome performance...yet another perfect capture. I would imagine Mr Collins has got to be one of the hardest characters to play, but damn, he does it very well, making him come off as unpleasant and laughable--utterly ridiculous, just as he ought to be.
Orlando Bloom--
er.
Rupert Friend (Mr Wickham).[laughs again] Well, here as the notorious bastard Wickham we have Orlando Bloom's hotter and vastly more talented doppelganger, Rupert Friend. (ha!) You know what I'm going to say: he did a great job. (Otherwise I would never have mentioned him, eh?) Really had that sort of suave and pretty feel about him, with that "shithead" undercurrent running nicely underneath. [laughs] Damn striking; I spent about a minute or so going, "What the fuck is Orlando Bloom doing in this movie? And why is he acting really well all of a--oh, that isn't him, no wonder. Thought it was too good to be true." I think he's a face to watch out for, though...I'd like to see him in more movies. Seems a talented fellow, yes yes. [nods] >.>
[Moving Along, Part Two]The Eye Candy.Well now, some of the 'modern film' elements threw me off a bit, most notably that whole damned sudden-zoomy thing they've got going on. I got used to it though, even though it still seems too 'Kimberly's 5th birthday party' for my tastes.
It doesn't matter, however, because the beautiful shots that drench this film more than made up for it. Wicked god, my eyes were about bleeding with how pretty this movie is. The little fantasy sequence where Knightley closes her eyes and finds herself standing at the edge of the cliff is absolutely stunning.
The Marriage Proposal, and Matthew Macfadyen Revisited....Aaaaaaauuuuuuuuughhhhhhhhhhh!!!
That scene where he finally confesses his affections for Elizabeth--I've never seen it pulled off any better, and I honestly don't think I ever will. So...
SO...awesome. It was right at that point where I nodded to myself and said with certainty, "Yes, he's a
great Darcy." What a marvelous choice of setting! The rain just gave it such a...pounding, urgent feeling. Much more interesting than them being confined to a room and having Darcy stomp around being pissed. I loved it, I really did. He and Knightley in this scene: overwhelming perfection.
I've always liked to think of Mr Darcy as dark chocolate: dark, rich, bitter on the surface, smooth going down, and definitely not for the common, everyday tastes. Does Macfadyen live up to the dark chocolate ideal I hold? Put up the checklist and go ahead and check every item; he's a gem.
In physical terms, Macfadyen presents a picture-perfect Darcy. As I said earlier, he didn't appear horribly attractive, but once he gets going a bit, you kind of find his actions help him out in the attractiveness department. [laughs] And even later, when he loosens up and smiles--oh, what a gorgeous man!
Donald Sutherland (Mr Bennet).Near the end, in that scene with Knightley, he shone. I thought it was such a beautiful scene, when his eyes watered and he told her how he felt about the whole affair. Ah! [cries like schoolgirl] I've always liked Mr Bennet, and to pick such an actor for his role I think made him even more likeable. So lovely.
[End Feelings]Love. Love, love, and more love.
What do I think of Keira Knightley now?I think she did one hell of a job as Elizabeth Bennet. She was real, she was wonderful.
What do I think of Matthew Macfadyen?I'm getting a craving for dark chocolate. [laughs]
I seem to say this a lot, but this is definitely one of my favourite films now. I feel deprived having waited this long to finally see it, but I'm glad it exceeded my expectations. The direction and setting was stunning in every aspect. The music was hauntingly beautiful, especially in the scene where Darcy walks toward Elizabeth at sunrise; it was quite moving. Speaking of moving, I also liked the pacing of the film. Nothing went too fast or too slow; I was more than content with the pace.
This film does a great job presenting
Pride & Prejudice to people who perhaps aren't acquainted with the book. Obviously, I can't really say much more than that, as I've been a fan before seeing this movie, but I feel that everything is clearly presented and the excess was nicely cut away to avoid possible confusion. The Bennet family is portrayed so well, and you can really see how close they are, something I never quite felt satisfied with in the miniseries version.
The contrast between subtle nuances and blatant framing that are everywhere in this film are truly a pleasure to watch. The way the camera focuses on a hand or pans past a window makes it very visually interesting. Some scenes even seem slightly surreal and fantastic, which didn't put me off the way I rationally thought it should for a film adaptation of P&P; on the contrary, I think it rather added to the beauty of the story.
I've written an entire essay on this! [laughs] I felt it necessary to convey my thoughts on it, and if I had the time, I'd probably do such reviews on every other film I love. Besides, when you stay awake all night because you've slept all day, what else have you got to do? xD
Well, it's seven in the morning now...and people are finally awake, so I guess this means I can leave off here. I think I'll watch it again today. I know I'll watch it again today. x3
Ein Edit, per Bloggia:I joined a bajillion more fanlistings, so I'm finally going to kill off the fanlistings on my page because they're just too much for the side. A link to my fanlisting blog will replace the codes.
Fan-Whoredom
