R. W.

I know so many are ardently loyal to this interpretation, and I do own a copy, but it's not my favorite. I am not a fan of the portrayal of Lizzy. Jennifer Ehle plays her as smug. I am also not woo'd by Colin Firth. He's just not hot. Sorry, Europe.

Still, after 16 years, my favorite movie. It's cinematic perfection. No single actor carries it, as the entire ensemble personifies their literary character flawlessly. It feels like a choreographed dance that we, the viewers, are waltzed through, scene-by-scene; ending in an intoxicating dip. I want to bathe in this film. I watch it over and over, and find new marvels in this masterpiece, still. I cannot praise it enough. The story is romantic and believable and unpredictable, if you are fortunate-enough to have never read or seen it, yet....but still enjoyable to rewatch. If you are madly in love with this story, I also recommend, "Lost In Austen", afterwards. You'll thank me.

McKenna Grace, who plays the plucky, "Christmas", is endearing and ridiculously adorable. She is a doll and perfectly cast. The movie is cute, but lacking story and substance, a bit....it's like the outline or 2'nd draft, and could use a bit more dialogue and plot/character development. This is more of a children's or tween flick, as it is....like a Disney Channel movie. I loved Viola Davis, who is perfect in everything, and it was awesome to see Jim Gaffigan in a movie. I just wish their characters were developed more. There is so much potential, in the story. I would recommend it for a young audience at a slumber party.

The acting and editing and cinematography are superb. It's a believable love story that draws you in and then breaks your heart. This is definitely not a date flick.

So, imagine a rock music-lover's playlist, sung by mediocre high school drama class singers, used exclusively to string along a plot as weak as 50 Shades, and you have this sad excuse for a modern take on Cinderella. It's a wince-inducing musical that appears 99% focused on being woke and pretty much threw dialogue, character arcs and depth a 1% bone, out of charity. There were musical mashups, piled on top of one another, with corny/obvious 1 dimensional characters that could have been written by a 2'nd grader. I make sure to catch every version of Cinderella, as it was my favorite childhood story. This, hands-down, was not only the worst, it was painful to sit through. Why, Hollywood? Hasn't GOT shown you we crave fantasy that has substance? Ugh!

The most beautiful movie I have seen in years.