Just in Time for the Oscars! I Watched a 2 year old Movie!
I watched the Kiera Knightly "Pride and Prejudice" last night. Or rather, tried. I will grant the following:
It was a treat to look at.
Kiera Knightly is adorable.
But she's no Elizabeth Bennett.
And I don't even know who that guy is who is supposed to be Mr. Darcy and won't even IMDb him because I don't care. Pft.
I fell asleep. There's the truth of it.
I might turn it back on this afternoon, do some ironing and see if the last half changes my mind. But I'm sceptical.
I have a point.
For quite some time now I have been saying "pft" and "meh" in response to this newest version of one of my very favorite books ever. These dismissive interjections have been made for the simple reason that, having seen the A&E production, it was clear no one would ever have to try and make the story again. It was a faithful rendering of the tale. Because it was a mini-series the script was deep and wide, with lots of characters and significant conversations that went to the heart of the principals and their motivations. It was pretty to look at, well acted and hello? starred Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy.
When the latest movie version was released in 2005 I never considered seeing it, citing the attempt as silly and futile. "Not interested. Pft, again", I would say.
But there are people, people I like and respect, who over the years have said, "Oh, but you should see it. For what it is, it's quite well done". And then they'd go on to celebrate the performance of this person or that and talk about how gorgeous it was and such like that.
And I realized I was doing something I really hate in others: deciding ahead of the evidence. This is not the conduct of an intelligent, fair-minded person. Such a person bases her response to facts and research, not to blithe, unthinking reaction. Yes. I love Colin Firth. True, I believe him to be the definitive Mr. Darcy. But to dismiss something out of hand, without even an attempt at understanding it, is silly, lazy and possibly even dangerous. (Ok, not strictly in this context but as a rule knee-jerk reactionism is most decidedly not a good thing. I could name one or two political movements that embody this. I won't. Just saying).
So I finally put the movie on my Netflix list and then finally stopped shoving it back down the queue every time it bubbled near the top. And after having it in my house for 2 weeks, finally watched it. And fell asleep. Because it really didn't do anything for me.
But at least now when I say, "Oh, I didn't care for it; I much prefer the A&E version", I won't be just talking out of the side of my neck. I'm fair-minded like that.
It was a treat to look at.
Kiera Knightly is adorable.
But she's no Elizabeth Bennett.
And I don't even know who that guy is who is supposed to be Mr. Darcy and won't even IMDb him because I don't care. Pft.
I fell asleep. There's the truth of it.
I might turn it back on this afternoon, do some ironing and see if the last half changes my mind. But I'm sceptical.
I have a point.
For quite some time now I have been saying "pft" and "meh" in response to this newest version of one of my very favorite books ever. These dismissive interjections have been made for the simple reason that, having seen the A&E production, it was clear no one would ever have to try and make the story again. It was a faithful rendering of the tale. Because it was a mini-series the script was deep and wide, with lots of characters and significant conversations that went to the heart of the principals and their motivations. It was pretty to look at, well acted and hello? starred Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy.
When the latest movie version was released in 2005 I never considered seeing it, citing the attempt as silly and futile. "Not interested. Pft, again", I would say.
But there are people, people I like and respect, who over the years have said, "Oh, but you should see it. For what it is, it's quite well done". And then they'd go on to celebrate the performance of this person or that and talk about how gorgeous it was and such like that.
And I realized I was doing something I really hate in others: deciding ahead of the evidence. This is not the conduct of an intelligent, fair-minded person. Such a person bases her response to facts and research, not to blithe, unthinking reaction. Yes. I love Colin Firth. True, I believe him to be the definitive Mr. Darcy. But to dismiss something out of hand, without even an attempt at understanding it, is silly, lazy and possibly even dangerous. (Ok, not strictly in this context but as a rule knee-jerk reactionism is most decidedly not a good thing. I could name one or two political movements that embody this. I won't. Just saying).
So I finally put the movie on my Netflix list and then finally stopped shoving it back down the queue every time it bubbled near the top. And after having it in my house for 2 weeks, finally watched it. And fell asleep. Because it really didn't do anything for me.
But at least now when I say, "Oh, I didn't care for it; I much prefer the A&E version", I won't be just talking out of the side of my neck. I'm fair-minded like that.
Labels: movies
cobbled together by Moi at 6:31 AM
10 Comments:
So does this mean that you are now going to view the Jim Carry Catalog?
No. Jim Carey makes my throat small. And I've seen enough of his work to be confirmed in that.
The only time I want to see Kiera Knightly onscreen is when Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp are standing next to her.
You know what I'd really like? Kiera Knightly standing next to Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp in a movie that didn't make me want to slit my wrists!
I had this weird thing where I wouldn't see a movie based on a book until I had read the book.... But, then I broke my own rule seeing the movie of oh, In Her Shoes for example, and made my purchase of the book obsolete and it sat on my shelf with the other 500 + books I have yet to read....so now I don't know what to do...read the book or see the movie when this happens again.
I really need to get a copy of that A and E version.
I was going to read the instruction manual for my new camera, but I decided I'll just wait 'til the movie comes out.
Dame Judi Dench is in it, of course.
It's called "Do Not Expose Camera to Temperatures Above 110 F or Below -10 F, or Get Camera Wet".
OK, I'm done.
I used to do that, too, Rosemary. I'm sorta over it now. Unless it's a classic. Or Harry Potter.
Yes, you do, Nicole. Yes, you do.
Iwanski, Oh, golly, I heard the film treatment didn't even come close to being as good as the manual. In fact, the dud went straight to video. The Village Voice said, "Even the all to brief appearance of the luminous Dame Judi was not enough to lift this work from being anything more than insufferably pedantic".
There ARE some things that should never be done, not even once, like watching Keira Knightley trying to be Elizabeth Bennett. I avoided that movie like the plague and I'm not even a huge Austen fan... mind you, they used to do excellent cream teas right opposite her house in Chawton at a little place called Cassandra's Cup... But I digress. No, the trailer for the film made it look as though dear Keira had based Lizzie on some chipmunk with ADHD, so I decided to just say No.
As a non-Austen-type person, I thought Ang Lee's rendition of Sense And Sensibility was quite effective.
"a chipmunk with ADHD"...great is my mirth.
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