Bride And Prejudice [2004] [DVD]

The characters were well chosen,you could believe they are real flesh&blood persons, not just some flat charactertypes. I loved both Lalita and Darcy. When I first saw Martin Henderson on the cover photo, I thought him too handsome, too light (Mr D is supposed to be dark & brooding - think about Colin Firth or L. Olvier, both fantastic!) too American if you like - sorry US, no offence meant! - and I doubted whether he could act as it can be expected from a proper Darcy-character. Fortunately he proved me wrong. You could see why Lalita found him irritating, but you could feel attracted to him at the same time.

Mr & Mrs Bakshi were very funny. Mr Bakshi was a gentle, placid person unlike Mr Bennet, but his quiet, yet sharp humour was very appealing. Mrs Bakshi was satisfyingly amusing and embarrassing at the same time. Mr Kohli was hilarious, Jhaya very lovely, Balraj kind and funny.

I liked the colours and the action. The dances were superb, some songs were very good, others not so much (this is why I don't give 5 stars) and it is a great pity that the song Arrogance, Pride & Vanity was omitted. I agree with my fellow reviewers: it could have thrown more light on the contradictory relationship between Lalita & Darcy and emphasized more the already existing chemistry between them.
It is very positive that it was included in special features however. Some of the omitted scenes were also very entertaining.

And you know what? I dare to risk the personal opinion that Miss Jane A might have enjoyed this film herself!

The musical highlight of the movie for me is the Balle Balle sequence at the wedding.
If you love Jane Austen, romance and musicals, this will be a real treat for you.

The film is primarily set in India. Will Darcy (Martin Henderson) has come with his friend Balraj (Lost's Naveen Andrews) to attend a wedding - and what a wedding it is. The whole town is in full celebration mode, and the song and dance numbers that come spinning at you in kaleidoscope fashion entrance you with their beauty and grace. Darcy is immediately taken with a gorgeous young lady named Lalita Bakshi (Aishwarya Rai), who just happens to be the sister of Balraj's object of affection. She comes from a family full of girls and a mother working tirelessly to find husbands for her older daughters - hopefully rich ones. Darcy and Lalita, despite a lot of meaningful eye contact, don't exactly hit it off, but that's largely Darcy's fault. Henderson really isn't very charismatic in the role, and he's not all that eloquent either. Lalita finds him to be a rude, arrogant American who looks down on her and everyone else in India. Darcy's also a bit of a wimp, seemingly incapable of standing up to his domineering mother's influence. She would never approve of an India-born daughter-in-law, of course - but Mrs. Bakshi wouldn't necessarily leap for joy at an American son-in-law, either (no matter how rich he is - and Darcy is filthy rich). Darcy does get to spend a little time with Lalita (but not because she wants to), but then an acquaintance of his shows up in the form of Johnny Wickham (Daniel Gillies) - why the son of Darcy's nanny suddenly shows up there in India is a complete mystery to me, though. Wickham's no good, but the ever-ineffectual Darcy won't tell Lalita why. As for Lalita, she has to fend off a new suitor in the form of an incredibly annoying fellow who has come back from America seeking a bride. It looks like Darcy and Lalita just weren't meant to be, as he returns to London and Lalita finds herself having to fend off a new suitor in the form of an incredibly annoying fellow who has come back from America seeking a bride. The world's a small place, though, and fate brings Darcy and Lalita together again in Los Angeles (where the Bakshi family has come to attend another wedding).

The romance is quite predictable, but it does take interesting twists and turns along the way. I found it pretty compelling, but in many ways the love story is just the excuse to put on an awe-inspiring spectacle of music, dance, and incredible entertainment. I can't adequately describe the lavish nature of this film, except to say that it is a visual and auditory treat. I haven't had this much fun watching a film in a long time. Singing and dancing can start at the drop of a hat, and as often as not it doesn't end until the entire village has joined the fun. Lalita and her sisters are just wonderful, adorable characters (even the one who does the rather unforgettable Cobra Dance) - and Aishwarya Rai, the true star of this film, shines like the heavens on a dark night. I'll eagerly watch any movie she appears in. You won't have to worry about nodding off in the middle of this one - as Bride and Prejudice has the contagious energy to revive even the weariest of souls. Hollywood just doesn't make films like this; until you see this Bride and Prejudice, you probably won't even know what you're missing.