Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Numerootno A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

olga-54767 This film is doubtless the best screen version of the best novel by Jane Austen. The TV series has immediately become classic, and it is not surprising. Its accuracy, taste and style are peerless. This version is ideally balanced with smooth action and amusement, touches of humour and elegance. It revives the atmosphere of the epoch and even more of the book. All the characters in the film shine like diamonds, I honestly believe that they are ideal portraits of the heros, while the background is simply spotless. Sets, costumes and music are perfect, each and every detail is carefully selected and put on its place to create the real picture of the novel. The novel is the star here, and you can feel every nuance of the plot, some moments are depicted with dramatism and brightness, others are thughtfully deep and touching. I think that this film avoids all the mistakes of modern screen versions by combining genre filming and amazing depiction of characters. Strong admiration evokes performance of Jennifer Ehle, Colin Firth, Susannah Harker, Alison Stedman and Benjamin Whitrow, Julia Sawalha, Crispin Bonham-Carter, David Bamber, Lucy Scott and young Emilia Fox.

apgamilla There are few movies that will make you feel that its always your first time to watch the movie. And this one was the perfect example. I watched it multiple times but it feels like it was my first time to watch this. I'm excited to the improvement of two heroin love story, always waiting for my mr darcy.everything was perfect. You will fall inlove over and over again to this wonderful adaptation. :)I love love the 2005 version. But this one gave me more feels. Colin gave a wonderful portrayal of an arrogant and proud Mr. Darcy. Perfect!! And lizzie gave a wonderful performance . A witty and not an insecure lizzie.. All the cast were wonderful!! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!

annette-20749 I've watched this multiple times, and it remains delightful. Even my action-movie geek husband and my children loved it. The actors got so much comedy out of the characters and the story, and it was palpable that they had great fun in the production. It's lovely that they managed to get so much of Austen's original dialogue into the script and still have it feel appropriately flowing for a movie. I have a book about the making of the series, which backs up what the series itself shows at every level, namely that much care for details and much love for the book went into making it. The ensemble cast is great, and all the young actresses really excel. One doesn't have to swoon at the sight of Colin Firth in a wet shirt (I don't) to enjoy this production.

Mozart Rules This 1995 BBC version remains unchallenged as the best filmed interpretation of Austen's masterpiece, for many reasons.First, the script. The 1995 version has the luxury of being the longest at nearly six hours, and much of Austen's dialogue is gracefully interpolated into it. The 1980 version is closest and is similarly rich in Austen's prose. Both film versions - 1940 and 2005 - contain snippets of Austen's dialogue and are better than expected. But they're still too truncated to uncover all the nuances of the story.Next, production values. The 1995 BBC and 2005 film versions lead here. Both give a better sense of Austen's time and place than earlier versions, and take the stiffness (which sometimes hurts the 1980 version in particular) out of the performances. The interiors and sound of the 2005 film are sumptuous, but the blu ray edition of the 1995 BBC version brilliantly rescues it from the sometimes washed-out colours of previous video and DVD editions. The 1940 film is in MGM's best black and white and is also lovely, but the anachronistic costuming is unfortunate and the studio filming can't help but somewhat distance the storytelling from the viewer.The locations used for the 1995 and 2005 versions are wonderful. The 1995 one has the edge, as each home takes on more personality thanks to extended scenes within them. And the first view Elizabeth gets of 'Pemberley' (Lyme Hall) when her aunt and uncle visit it is magically filmed, again because the scenes prior to its appearance carefully lead the audience to expect something even grander than Lady Catherine's estate - and it does NOT disappoint! Chatsworth House in the 2005 film makes a magnificent Pemberley, too, but it doesn't have quite the same emotional impact.The music is superior in the 1995 and 2005 versions, though the fuller orchestrations of the 2005 one - especially during the dance scenes - are a bonus. But the use of actual snippets of Handel, Haydn and Mozart played by various characters in the 1995 version make it – for me - more realistic and representative of the time.Finally, the performances. Greer Garson was too old to play Elizabeth Bennet in 1940, but she still supplies enough spirit and wit to make a quite surprisingly good 'Lizzie'. Elizabeth Garvie gives a lovely performance in 1980, though her interior monologues underline the claustrophobia of that production. Keira Knightley in 2005 gives a better performance than I expected. She doesn't have enough time to portray some of the amused observation of the follies of the society she witnesses, and some of her giggly, teeth- baring reactions come across as a bit too young. Still, it's a refreshing take. However, Jennifer Ehle in 1995 superbly embodies Elizabeth's character, especially her mordant wit. Her eyes are particularly expressive and convey complex emotions more subtly than the other actresses who've portrayed Lizzie. Too 'matronly'? I think that charge should be levelled more fairly at the Empire dresses of the period (which the 1940 film rejects in favour of more flattering fashions from several decades later). Ehle's act will be almost impossible to follow.Quite impossible to follow is Colin Firth's sublime, star-making performance as Mr. Darcy. Other actors have cut dashing figures as Darcy, with varying success. A little too indifferent (Olivier, 1940), aloof (Rintoul, 1980), or confused (Macfadyen) and the character loses some of the drive and complexity it needs to fully challenge Elizabeth. David Rintoul has the time to flesh out the role, and though he's an exceedingly handsome Darcy, there's not enough warmth or subtlety in the performance to make it the equal of Firth's (or Garvie's Lizzie). Another reviewer was spot on in writing that in Firth's performance we really feel Darcy's struggle to convey his conflicted feelings for Lizzie. The growing interest in Lizzie by Darcy's character is brilliantly portrayed, again thanks in part to wonderfully expressive eyes. And the transformation into a loving, caring partner packs a devastating punch from the moment Darcy bumps into Elizabeth at Pemberley. Truly, an iconic performance. That Firth is a simmering knockout doesn't hurt(!), but his acting is what brings Darcy indelibly to life.The rest of the cast members in 1995 are ideal. Yes, Alison Steadman's Mrs. Bennet is ridiculous (Mary Boland runs her a close second in 1940), but her take on the character contrasts most fully with Benjamin Whitrow's (wonderfully amused) Mr. Bennet and makes the union that much more pitiable (and funny). Susannah Harker is a lovely Jane, and it's a mystery to me that others think she's plainer than Ehle's Elizabeth (and therefore not suited to the role). Her closeups remind me of beautiful ivory cameos, and she plays the role to perfection. The 1995 Kitty and Lydia give the best idea of each individual's personality, and David Bamber's Mr. Collins is dry comedy of the best kind. Crispin Bonham- Carter's Bingley is the most sympathetic ever, and Anna Chancellor's Caroline Bingley the most vicious (though 1940's Frieda Inescort gives a delicious portrayal too). Barbara Leigh-Hunt gives in 1995 the very best performance of Lady Catherine De Bourgh. I love Judi Dench in 2005, but she's given too little time to really make the role shine as it must. Barbara Leigh-Hunt plays the over-the-top 'grande dame' snob perfectly, and her confrontation scene with Elizabeth at the end is the ideal rendition of that explosive meeting. Special mention also needs to go to Joanna David's warm, knowing portrayal of Lizzie's Aunt Gardiner. That and a dozen other characterizations too numerous to mention here add grace notes to an already stellar production.In short, if you want the richest available filmed expression of Jane Austen's work of genius, I think you need look no further than the 1995 BBC version. Hats off to the director, producers, and - imperishably - the wonderful cast!