A Man’s Confession
Jim Tynen, writing for the Pittsburg Tribune-Review, dares to reveal that he, a man, was looking forward to the latest adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
I have a confession that’s hard for guys to make.
No, I don’t tape “The Gilmore Girls” and I don’t have a man bag.
But I was eager to see the new movie of “Pride and Prejudice,” with Keira Knightley. It’s amazing how passionate many people, male and female, are about Jane Austen’s story of the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennett and the proud Mr. Darcy.
And even more startling is this:
But try telling “Pride and Prejudice” fanatics, as I did, that Colin Firth rates only a “B” as Mr. Darcy, in the 1995 version. You would have thought I burned the American flag while tap-dancing on a Bible.
To me, Firth looked less like an arrogant aristocrat than an English accountant who has ingested an especially greasy meal of fish and chips. The discomfort annoys him, but what he really dreads are the potentially embarrassing after-effects.
Them’s fighting words amongst Firth fangirls everywhere. Immunity to the effects of the Wet! Linen! Shirt! must be at the root of this minority opinion.
December 6th, 2005 at 6:30 pm
Lynch Me Now
Evidently, I miss few chances to say it’s immunity to Jennifer Ehle that sours the male viewer, Julie B.
P. S. What’s it mean to be a cub reporter at this address?:-)
December 6th, 2005 at 6:54 pm
Another male (re)viewer
[merely goes ape for KK]
…Films derived from Austen are usually set in a decorous indoor world, with the rigidity of the homes standing for the rigidity of society. Wright’s “Pride” is a boisterous, loud, dance-mad kind of place, full of ruddy-faced peasants, dirt and hay. The whole thing feels like it was art-directed by Bruegel on holiday. No minuets or waltzes here, but spirited, flashy, almost cloglike dances by firelight. Oh, it’ll make purists insane, as will the insistence on playing most of the scenes outdoors as opposed to in candle-lit rooms amid silk damask and vellum books. But in a sense it’s necessary: Knightley is too vast a force of nature to be contained by tiny rooms.
Lord God, can she take control of a scene, dominate a movie, project to the last seat, radiate power and personality unto the rafters. It’s a great performance. I love the way Knightley’s eyes light with furious intelligence when she cuts the pompous Darcy a new something or other. MacFadyen grows on you; at first he seems not merely boorish and tongue-tied but stupid. As Austen’s machinations play out, the whole performance warms up to the point where he’s actually likable. More important, you feel the chemistry between them growing.
Kids, get a room!– Stephen Hunter(Washington Post)
To be more systematic go here:
http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/prideandprejudice
December 6th, 2005 at 10:07 pm
Minuets were about 20 years past and waltzes about 20 years in the future. Simp.
December 6th, 2005 at 10:07 pm
P.S. We’re not going to have Lizzy Wars to go with the Darcy wars now, are we? *looks pained*
December 7th, 2005 at 12:57 am
. . .Bruegel??? Geez, maybe a visit to a museum is in order.
Ah, at least this string gave me some much needed laughs, aloud!!!!
December 7th, 2005 at 8:38 am
Must be a truth universally acknowledged
I made exactly these two comparisons (throwing in Japanese men to boot). Now shut me up if you dare:
–PETER TRAVERS, Rolling Stone Posted: Nov, 3 2005
December 7th, 2005 at 9:42 am
Firth looked less like an arrogant aristocrat than an English accountant who has ingested an especially greasy meal of fish and chips.
This is exactly right. Firth is very 1990s, very bourgeois and his speech is estuary English - he could play either of the two most recent UK prime ministers (although I hope they will never make that film.)
Lizzy Wars
Knightley was mildly OK in Bend it Like Beckham and has been going downhill ever since. Ehle is a fabulously beautiful woman as well as a great actress and she single-handedly transformed P&P2 from 6 hours of earnest tedium to the definitive, transformative experience that it is.
In my opinion
December 7th, 2005 at 11:36 am
I happen to agree that Firth looked distinctly uncomfortable in P&P2. I saw bits of it on Biography Channel the other day, and realized that his attempts to look intense made him look constipated instead.
As for Jennifer Ehle, I didn’t like her portrayal because she just seemed too smug and bitter to be Elizabeth, but my father had the cutest crush on her. Until he found out she was a blonde, that is. He prefers brunettes (this is especially nice since he married one and is the father of another).
December 7th, 2005 at 5:00 pm
“I saw bits of it on Biography Channel the other day, and realized that his attempts to look intense made him look constipated instead.”
That is the EXACT line my friend said when I made her watch P&P2 with me. She more like yelled out, “stop looking so constipated all the time, and just ask her to freaking dance!”
Hmmm…It’s quite true though. Besides that, I quite liked his interpretation of Darcy. hahaahahaha…your comment made my day!
December 7th, 2005 at 6:01 pm
Colin Firth’s problem was his inability to show the range of emotion and different layers of character through his face, which is very frustrating for the viewer. His face was often too mask-like with nothing behind it and because of the lack of range of facial expressions, he did look ‘constipated’ when trying to look intense (well put, Julie). I think it must have been his physical presence which won women over!
For all that, I do enjoy watching P&P2; it’s an ironing DVD - I’ve just probably seen it too many times.
December 8th, 2005 at 10:39 am
As Good An Excuse As Any to revise my bit of fluff
FANTASY CASTING
These players are all now too old or worse (except Keira The Swan!), but it’s fun to imagine the “ideal” cast based on acting ability and sex appeal (where applicable). If we could only move around their birthdays!
Furthermore, so an actor (Olivier, say) isn’t discredited by his appearing in a woeful production in the past you should imagine the script of your dreams and the director of your dreams (etc). Mags may hug herself and take both writer/adaptor and director slots.
My second draft:
Lizzie: 1. Elizabeth Garvie 2. Rachel Weisz
Jane: 1. Keira Knightley
Darcy: 1. Lawrence Olivier 2. James Mason/Jeremy Irons 3.Ralph Fiennes 4. Colin Firth* 5. Robin Ellis**
Wickham: 1. Hugh Grant
(etc.)
*as seen in Valmont (much better than P&P2 appearance, eh?)
**circa Poldark
December 8th, 2005 at 11:06 pm
I really only need to be a consultant, you know, I’m not one to demand ALL the laurels.
December 9th, 2005 at 8:05 am
its so interesting to hear how other people interpret an actor’s performance. i thought colin firth was amazingly subtle and nuanced…his eyes were so expressive, the slight curve of his mouth giving hint of a smile, etc. all of which i found very refreshing, given our current actor’s and actress’s tendency to overact everything…but then again, i’ve always been a sucker for the strong silent types
December 9th, 2005 at 9:44 am
I found MM to be very much the strong, silent type. And he never looked constipated.
January 18th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
My daughters and I loved Matthew Macfadyen. His performance was nuanced, he grew and changed and became passionate within two hours. And their romance was hot and believable on screen (which rarely happens). Some of the men suggested for Darcy are old enough to be Mr. Bennet (Irons, Fiennes). I do think Macfadyen is like a young Olivier. He is really a Shakespearean actor.