Pride and Prejudice

It’s hard to believe, but not only have I never read the book, I have somehow managed to not see any of the dozen versions of this classical warhorse … except the 2004 Bollywood musical adaptation, Bride and Prejudice. I didn’t even know the plot. So I’m not competent to judge the film’s accuracy, which I’m told was a little off, leaving out a lot of Jane Austen’s social commentary about class and the plight of women of that time. But it all works well, it’s gorgeous to look at, it’s deeply romantic in the way of ’40s movies starring Laurence Olivier, and it had some nice funny moments. Donald Sutherland is very good, as usual, and Keira Knightley is magnificent. She deserved her Oscar nomination.