Friday, June 5, 2009

Lost in Austen (2008) Film Review - Pride and Prejudice spin

Plot Summary - Modern day Hammersmith, London gal, Amanda Price (Jemima Rooper), lives and breathes Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", her favorite novel. Oddly, she finds a young woman in her bathroom one day who has come through the wall and is about to change her life - and it's none other than Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bennet herself! Amanda slips through the same wall and into the 19th century world of the Bennet family, right into their upstairs hall, actually. She proceeds by staying at Longbourn (the Bennet home, for those not in the know) as a friend of Lizzie (while Lizzie is behind in the modern world doing who knows what!). Amanda can't get back home so begins living the story as told in "Pride and Prejudice". But, hey, remember - it's not that wise to mess with the space-time continuum, even in a fictional story apparently - she begins to 'cause the story to alter - starting with the unlikely marriage of Jane to, um, Mr. Collins. And - what do you think - in spite of her efforts to make sure handsome, proud Mr. Darcy (Elliot Cowan) will eventually end up with Lizzie - Amanda starts to fall for him herself. Things get real messed up, and none of the characters end up being entirely like Amanda always imagined them!

Review - Okay - this three-hour (made for British TV, I should think) film was quite entertaining. Not as good as film adaptations of the real "Pride and Prejudice", but cute and sometimes amusing. The characters and style of the film are all geared mainly to emulate the 1995 Colin Firth BBC version as well as elements I noted from the 2005 theatrical film version. There is a part near the end where Mr. Darcy actually goes back with Amanda through the wall and sees modern day London (and thinks he's dreaming on Opium!) - quite entertaining that. Enjoyable, mainly for Austen and "Pride and Prejudice" fans. Rating - 8/10 stars

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