Monday, November 28, 2005

Pride and Prejudice

We took the kid to see two movies over the TNX holiday, Zathura and Pride and Prejudice. She loved them both; so did I. (mr. delagar confessed to being a bit bored in Zathura, but then I suspect he did not find the astronaut as charmingly sexy as I did. A charmingly sexy astronaut will go a long way toward distracting me.)

Anyway, this P&P is the best yet, I think. It's got the best Mr. Collins ever, and while I don't think it handles Mr. Wickham very well, all the other characters are brilliantly done, including Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. And it's done just excellent with the class issues -- it touches deftly on the real peril of the Bennett situation and lets the audience, at least, see that yes, Elizabeth does, in fact, have her head in the clouds just a touch, if she thinks she can afford to marry for love.

It also captures all the background detail wonderfully -- the scenery and the lighting and the clothing and the farmyards and the servants and the dogs -- those are all perfect. The ballroom scenes! The kid was bouncing in her chair with delight over the ballroom scenes.

Also, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's sexual attraction -- repressed and violent, played with amazing beauty. The actors did an amazing job with this. As did the director.

(For an opposing view, see this guy,

http://catholicanalysis.blogspot.com/2005/11/movie-review-pride-and-prejudice.html

who apparently thinks people should not desire one another sexually previous to marriage -- I guess that's what he thinks -- and that previous to 1960 no one ever looked at anyone else's butt. Yes, of course. That's why Victorians put out more porn than any other generation on the planet, son.)

Anyway, I highly recommend the new P&P. I loved that six hour BBC version, but this one is even better.

(mr. delagar, at Pride and Prejudice, looking around the packed theater about six minutes before the previews start: "I think I'm the only guy in here."

I look around too. "Nah. Look. There's one, with his mother.")

3 comments:

zelda1 said...

I told Mr. Zelda that he and I were going to Tulsa to see Truman Capote and that we were going this weekend to see P&P and he frowned. He sees it as a chick flick and I say so not and that if he wants to understand MiddleMarch, he better get started and that P&P will be in his novel class and he says well maybe and on and on. Guys, what do they know.

delagar said...

mr. delagar loved P&P, btw. As well he should have, of course.

Anonymous said...

I thought P&P was really good, too. What an Elizabeth she made! Check my post on Margaret Cho; she was offended that the film was even made. Give me a break.