Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

The background piano score does justice to the impeccable cinematography. It's poetry in motion. MacFadyen is an amazing Darcy, and a fine actor. But it's all Keira Knightley stealing the show from there, with her bewitching charm and countenance. Every expression of hers is immaculate. Literally can't take eyes off her, much like Darcy in the film.

This movie is a true gem. While staying true to Jane Austen's book, the dialogue is incredible. Kyra Knightly is Lizzie reincarnated. I've seen the BBC version which is good, but the chemistry here is much better. This is one of my favorite movies of all time.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." Everyone knows this notorious line as the beginning sentence for Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The beloved novel about Elizabeth Bennet falling in love with the man she had sworn to hate, has captivated readers for over 200 years through its classic themes of love, humor, and early 19th century English culture. Many have tried to capture the story's magnificence through film. From 1938 to 1996, there has been over ten movies and television shows based on the novel. There has even been parodies of the story such as "Bride and Prejudice" and "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies." Nevertheless, the 2005 movie, featuring Keira Knightly and Matthew Macfardin, is by far the best film version of the novel that perfectly transports from paper to television the wit and emotions of the characters and the beauty of the setting. Jane Austen has written many novels about women, love, and domestic life in England during the turn of the 19th century. Pride and Prejudice is particularly one of her best works. The story follows the ladies of Longbourn estate, namely the second oldest of the five daughters, Elizabeth Bennet. She learns the wrongness of hasty judgment when she meets the incredibly wealthy and seemingly ill-mannered Mr. Darcy. Jane Austen is able to depict the fawning and flattering of a neighborhood full of young eligible women when a man from an affluent society comes to town during the British regency. Such an iconic novel has left Hollywood trying copy the story's delight. Only Joe Wright, director of 2005 Pride and Prejudice, was able to bring the novel justice.One reason the the film is so superb is the characters. The movie was cast to such perfection that I thought characters jumped right out of the book and onto the big screen. The stubbornness, poise, gracefulness, intelligence, and beauty of Elizabeth Bennet is flawlessly personified in leading actress Kiera Knightly. The arrogance, egotism, and kindness of Mr. Darcy is wholly seen in leading actor Matthew Macfardin. The silliness, chaos, and affection of the Bennet family- Rosamund Pink as Jane, Cary Mulligan as Kitty, Talulah Riley as Mary, Jena Malone and Lydia, Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennet, and Brenda Blethyn as Mrs. Bennet- is achieved to such perfection that the movie scenes that take place in Longbourn Estate, the Bennet's house property, will make you cry and laugh out loud. Even the performance of Tom Hollander makes you want to cringe as his character Mr. Collins, the awkward and silly cousin of the Bennets, proposes to Elizabeth. Without such a cast, the movie would be just another Hollywood producer tIn addition to the cast, the music perfectly sets the peaceful and calm mood of early 19th century English countryside, and it embellishes the ever-changing emotions of the characters. The soundtrack is an arrangement of classical piano and orchestra music, composed by Dario Marianelli. The movie starts off with Elizabeth Bennet walking and reading in an empty field while a piano piece by Andrew Lapp, titled "Dawn," plays in the background. This opening scene immediately captivates the audience. Due to the music, the watcher is immediately set in the beauty and serenity of the English countryside and in the peaceful thoughts of the protagonist, Ms. Elizabeth Bennet. The music has also enhanced other powerful scenes in the movie, including Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth's dance and field scene, in which the two admit their feelings for one another. Marianelli's work for the film has even gotten him an Oscar nomination for "Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures" and two World Soundtrack Academy nominations for the film. Nevertheless, the filming is by far the best part of the movie. When reading a novel, the author is able to explain and clarify the thoughts and feelings of the characters. However, on film the director does not have the luxury of doing so. Despite this, Wright flawlessly rendered Austen's writing. His vision and creativity has made it both clear and mysterious to the audience the thoughts and emotion of the characters at moments where others have made it ambiguous. For instance, during the scene in which Darcy and Elizabeth dance together at the second ball, the scene suddenly changed from the two dancing together in a crowd of people to the two dancing together in an empty ballroom, showing how they are focused only on each other despite the multitude of people around them. I am particularly fond of the way Wright showed the passage of time: Elizabeth spinning on a swing watching the seasons go by. Such originality and artistry has made this film the best version of Pride and Prejudice. Even though you can choose to watch many different film versions of the novel Pride and Prejudice, I recommend the StudioCanal 2005 film featuring Kiera Knightly. Unlike the others, it has been nominated for 34 awards, and has won six: Boston Society of Film Critics for 'Best New Filmmaker', British Academy Film Awards for 'Most promising Newcomer', Empire Awards for 'Best British Film' and Best Newcomer', London Film Critics' Circle for 'British Director of the Year' and "British supporting actor of the year". Many say the book is better than the movie. However after watching this magnificent version of Pride and Prejudice, one would argue the movie is better than the book.

To make a movie out of the well known book of Jane Austen would always be difficult. The adaptation of the book (the script) was badly done. Scenes had been altered which were highly improbable in those circles. For example: Mrs the Bourgh would never enter a home during the middle of the night to demand an explanation. Hollywood has lost their senses if they think they can alter the way people behaved in those circles in those times. The reason Jane Austen books are so famous is her detailed description of the behaviour of her characters in England during those times. To change all those things is (in my eyes) very wrong. The first scene of the ball looked like an American Saloon scene. I was horrified. The director hired some very well known actors and actresses, but most of the acting was done terribly. I got a stomach ache when I saw the scene of Elizabeth with Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins (Tom Hollander) looked like a dwarf and Elizabeth (Keira Knightly) like a giant. What the reason was for the film maker to shoot this scene this way I will never understand. Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfayden) was like a cartoon character. Matthew Macfayden played his role very badly and was never convincing. The only time he played well was during the rain scene when he got in a screaming match with Elizabeth. This scene was also a script adaptation I wasn't very keen on. I know Matthew Macfayden can act. In Ripper Street he did a great job. Here he was misplaced or maybe he felt the pain of the mishandling of the book by the script writer. He looked like he was bored during all his scenes. I can write the same lines about Donald Sutherland (Mr. Bennet). Donald either didn't believe the script or was very ill or drunk. His acting was abominable.That this movie got an Oscar nomination is beyond me. If I could have given this movie zero stars or better negative stars I would have done so. I would advise all the people who found this movie so great to watch the BBC adaptation of the book (1995) and then I want to know if they still think this movie was great.