stephenmogg

Spielberg on form is a tough act to follow and this movie proves that. The directing is of the point and shoot variety, the script is lifeless and the actors are on autopilot with the exception of Kyle Catlett. Do yourself a favour and watch the original which is an absolute classic and forget this ever got made.

Having first read the book a little over a year ago and currently re-reading it, I thought I would try this version first. Having been seriously disappointed with a lot of Dickens that has been adapted for the small screen, this is a revelation. It sticks faithfully to the book for much of the time and lifts decent chunks of text from it as well. No tricks, changes or gimmicks have been introduced, leaving us to enjoy the authors work as it was intended. It has been said before, but the other revelation is the casting. I have come to the conclusion that the best TV and film in any genre, is a combination of good writing and good casting. Colin Firth captures Darcy perfectly and other highlights for me are David Bamber as the excruciating Mr Collins and Benjamin Whitrow as a perfect foil for his wife, Mrs Bennets 'nerves'. I only wish that Judy Parfitt had been cast as Catherine De Bourgh as the portrayal here doesn't quite convey the force of nature that she so obviously is in the book. I enjoyed this hugely and although looking slightly dated on Netflix, the old crop ratio and grainy quality certainly give it some atmosphere. In HD & widescreen, the grand locations would have been done full justice and it would have looked as fantastic as well.