Brie McReynolds

This film gets two stars because it is cinematically very impressive, and the final scene showing a glimpse of the future is rather sweet. If you have never read the book or seen the 1995 mini series, I think you'll enjoy it. I found this adaptation infuriating, personally. Naturally they're trying to fit a complex novel into two hours, so dialogue was cut, scenes were rushed, big plot points were either skipped or combined and it all feels so hurried. The casting was disappointing, but not their fault. Kiera is an excellent actress, but the beauty of this story had always been the dialogue and the character development, and there was just no time to let that shine through. Rather, they depended on poor Keira's angelic face and expressions to do the heavy lifting of the missing plot. Also, what the heck was up with Bingley? Finally, it has to be said that they took too many liberties for the time period in which this story is set. Bingley would never have been allowed into a sick Janes room while she was in her bedclothes. Lizzy's hair would never be down while she was in public. One of the beautiful aspects of this story is seeing how love grows despite the constraints of society at that time. This is one more example of the fact that trying to fit a beautiful, complex, masterpiece of a story into a two hour movie is next to impossible. Better to watch the 1995 version, for it is better in every single way.