Technically this movie doesn't have a direct connection to London itself. But it is set in England and for a period of what seems like several months, Elizabeth Benett's older sister Jane is away in London staying with her Aunt and Uncle. It is also where Wickham and Lydia disappear, temporarily, into the underground, before Darcy is able to find them out and make everything right again.
So, while the London connection is a bit tenuous, since there is not a scene set there, I'm still adding an entry to my London category. Primarily because I very much enjoy this film and I want it on my list of films, even though it is technically more England rather than just London itself. The Pride and Prejudice that I am writing about is the 2005 version with Keira Knightley as Miss Elizabeth Bennett and Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy.
When I first heard rumor that Keira Knightley was cast to play Elizabeth Bennett in a new version of Pride and Prejudice, I had some serious doubts about the wisdom of the director and casting department responsible for the film. It seemed like quite a stretch to 1) cast her as Miss Bennett and 2) have it be a condensed version that was just over two hours long. I had nightmares of some adapted version in a modern setting trying to make a point about the universal truths that Jane Austen wrote about.
I think now, that my hesitation was due primarily to the fact that I came late to my appreciation of Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice and thanks to the patient efforts of my wife, had become a fan of many of her books and several of the movie adaptations, especially the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.
Fortunately, I was willing, to suspend my disbelief and we saw the new version in the theater shortly after it was released. And I feel now as my wife did right after seeing it the first time. I wish there were two more hours of this movie to watch. Why did they have to get in such a rush to tell the complete story. The filmmakers should have used their craft and taken a good three or more hours to tell the story properly. As it stands it is a very good adaptation, written to fit in two hours of film making and it is often my choice for Sunday night viewing as a good way to end the week and remind of some of the reasons I love England (and London). It especially evokes the memories of the few times I have been able to spend time in the English countryside outside of London and renews my determination to return again.
It is not the nightmare I feared. I have new found respect for Keira Knightley as an actress and am happy to have it as part of my permanent collection of English films.