Wednesday, February 07, 2007

p&p reredux



I’m well into my third deployment to Jane Austen and the Pride and Prejudice cinema. Maybe I’ll finish up by watching the 1940 version with Sir Laurence Olivier as Mr. Darcy. I don’t know much about Colin Firth but I’m pretty sure Larry will show better acting chops than either Colin or Matthew Macfadyen (2005 version). Though I haven’t read the book, I get the idea that Darcy is to be brooding and a totally standoffish, but Firth simply perfected a stare and used nothing but that bit of 'method acting' throughout the first three hours. Firth and Macfadyen seem nothing more than the Eddie Izzard skit about Brits arranging matches. (Is it weird the Colin Firth played Mr. Darcy in this movie and Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones’s Diary? Which I haven’t watched…what? Are you kidding?)

Here’s the real deal when comparing the BBC mini-series, the 2005 Keira Knightley version, and Bride and Prejudice: the Bollywood version is simply much better and much more entertaining. It gives me the plot, the romance, and the blah blah blah; what it it really comes down to is the dancing and actresses playing the daughters - much better dancing and way [better looking actresses] in Bride.

I know what you're thinking, "He seemed such a senstive guy. He watches Jane Austen movies with his [girlfriend]." Well, sometimes when you must make a critical decision the pretty stuff wins.

tishmel

No comments: