You could probably make a book about the many, many, many variations of the Jane Austen's immortal novel "Pride and Prejudice" and its adaptations, and I gather you could fit about a thousand pages especially when you fit in movies inspired by the story. I'll be honest, in spite of my culture and well groomed refinement, I've never read "Pride and Prejudice", nor have I ever seen the most famous adaptation starring Laurence Olivier, and though I can't judge the film upon the merits where it compares to the novel, I looked at this new adaptation with an immense non-bias. I’m not one of those men who refuse to see a film based on a Jane Austen novel.

I just never crossed paths with the adaptations in all my years. But many things attracted me to this new adaptation and Keira Knightley in all her square jawed sex appeal added to that allure that swayed me in to watching this. Joe Wright’s bold adaptation for the neo-feminists, and generation “duh” audience is a very good film, and filled with very interesting imagery and top notch performances by a great cast. Roth’s utterly gorgeous direction and Roman Oshins‘s amazing cinematography set the stages for one of the more whimsical albeit low-key adaptations of the Austen romance about rich people doing it for themselves. On the other hand, this adaptation also really features selfish wealthy people whom are also considering each other, particularly Mr. Bennet, the patriarch of the family seeking suitors for his daughters to ensure financial stability for the family. But his middle daughter really just wants more than financial stability. She also wants romance, which leads to her meeting with Mr. Darcy.

She and Mr. Darcy are intellectual rivals, and that brings them together, and I really enjoyed the interplay and evident chemistry between she and Darcy, and that is helped by Knightley’s quaint performance as the independent Lizzie, the young girl who really seeks to shoot down any and every aristocrat looking for a proposal. Though Austen’s story is a bit of a contradiction with a girl seeking independence and then finding marriage can lead to happiness, the characters and fascinating story convince us of Lizzie’s actions towards Darcy. Matthew McFayden is very good as the cold and arrogant Darcy who really ends up becoming a humble hero. Donald Sutherland and Brenda Blethyn are scene stealing as the controlling Bennet’s that seek to marry off their daughters to the very end. “Pride and Prejudice” is a very unpretentious adaptation with a wonderful story and a very sweet climax that will ensure a tear from the women-folk.

Rosamunde Pike, Keira Knightley, Jena Malone… what was I talking about? “Pride and Prejudice” is a gorgeous and well-acted adaptation and interesting enough of a film to keep the vapid teen audience coming and watching repeatedly. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and Wright’s film is well done.

• Emma Thompson did an uncredited and unpaid re-write of the script. She receives a "Special Thanks" credit at the end of the film.

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