Bride & Prejudice was a very entertaining movie, if nothing else. The story could have done with more development. I am a huge fan of Jane Austen, and have to agree that the script followed the spirit of the story very well. I was most impressed with Martin Henderson. (But I am biased because I am a Kiwi!) Having said that, I think he kept to the spirit of the Darcy character quite well. I also sympathize with him, as Mr Darcy is not an easy character to play, considering the cult following the character has, not withstanding the popularity of the previous and internal Mr Darcy, Colin Firth! I also liked Ashwariya Rai, whose career I have followed since her Miss World days. She made an impressive effort, this being her first Hollywood movie, and of course she looked amazing, which really helps! The supporting cast, Naveen Andrews, Namrata Shikordkar and Indira Verma where very good as well. Nadira Babbar & Nitin Gantara, stole the show for the best comedic lines, and Anupam Kher though strong and steady, did not have as much acting to do. Seeing Alexis Bledel in a cameo appearance was a treat as well! The comedy in the movie was what was done the best. Some of the song sequences where unnecessary, but some were timely, and very well done. The songs would have worked much better in Hindi! The best comedic scene in the movie was the "snake dance" which was side split tingly funny. The expressions of pure horror, on the faces of Mr Darcy & Mr.Kohli made the scene even funnier. The biggest complaint I have is that, the script did not concentrate enough on character development.I was disappointed that the close relationship between Jane & Elizabeth (Jaya & Lalita),which is a very important aspect of the Pride & Prejudice story was not well explored. In terms of plot and character development B & P lacked the depth of Bend It Like Beckham. But having said that, I perceive that Chadha was not attempting to make a similar movie to Bend It. All in all, it was an impressive effort, but I will remain convinced for now, that Bend It Like Beckham is Gurinder Chadha's best work to date!
Review of Bride & Prejudice
