Adrienne May

Absolutely the best P&P, Keira Knightley, so strong, so wrong until she realises her faults. Her pride and her prejudice on a learning curve, defending her inferior family although she realises the short comings of her position and of her parents and younger siblings and is ashamed of the behaviour of her younger sisters, yet defends them to those outside. Then the strength she shows, first when she repulses Darcy's advances because he has belittled her background and then by accident finds the very person she defended is a villain who has eloped with her silly sister, is shaken that that fellow can be welcomed into her family. Her confrontation by Lady Catherine and strength as she orders the haughty, rude overbearing woman out of her house, vowing that she would never refuse Darcy's hand to her face is one of the great scenes in film history on a par with Rhett Butler's 'Frankly my dear, I don't give a Damn.' A strong cast, beautifully filmed but whenever I have watched, I have wished for another 30 minutes. Yes it is that good.

Excellent film set in that period of 1950s when an influx of West Indian workers presented an opportunity for Rackman type landlords and when young girls were finding more freedom than the had had before. An outstanding performance by Sarsgaard and Carey Mulligans's first starring role. Mulligan is first rate, the slightly cocky daughter of dull and ill-informed parents, finding freedom, and a sugar daddy in Sarsgaard who she finally discovers iis not all he seems. Based on the real life of Lyn Barber.