Most Romantic Movie of All Time

[BlackberryJam]

4 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

Yeah...he's all Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs. My skin is crawling...

[Ohiopirate02]

19 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

Okay, unpopular opinion y'all, but was anyone else not blown away by the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, or should I rewatch it? I was expecting it to become another all-time favorite, but no such luck. 

It was beautifully shot with pretty music, but besides that, I found it boring. I wasn't super impressed by the script or the acting. I didn't see the chemistry between Elizabeth and Darcy either. Maybe I had a hard time getting into it because I don't connect as well with period pieces despite their beauty and am new to Jane Austen. I don't know. I just didn't see a riveting love story like Rose and Jack or Allie and Noah. 

I despise this adaptation of one of my favorite novels.  I prefer the vastly superior 1995 miniseries.  From what I can tell those who adore the 2005 version, they all seem to love Matthew MacFayden as Mr. Darcy.  I never see anyone gush about Kiera as Elizabeth.  I have noticed a trend with romance readers who read for the heroes loving this version.  I love romances for the heroines, and I filter my taste through that lens.  Kiera Knightley is no Elizabeth Darcy.  Lizzie is an attractive young woman who is never going to be the prettiest and she knows this.  She has accepted this and truly does not care.  She is clever, witty, and has a twinkle in her eye.  Keira's Lizzie has none of this.

Also, Jane Austen is all about the absurdities that play out underneath pristine drawing rooms with "civilized" people.  The Bennets are genteel but not rich.  They would never have pigs running through any part of Longbourn.  Joe Wright read that one snippet in the book where Lizzie walked to Netherfield Park and got mud on her petticoat, and he ran with it.  

[Ms Blue Jay]

I gush about Keira as Elizabeth.  I absolutely love, love, love that performance.  Although, I didn't read the book so I understand my opinion is considered differently.

Keira was also nominated for the Oscar for it, so I cannot be the only one.  I wish that she had won.

3 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

I wouldn't mind playing it again because of how beautiful the film is.

You must watch The Notebook if you're into romance at all! You may not love it like I do, but I think it's worth a watch. 

I definitely will.  Don't worry.  Rachel and Ryan are like Canadian royalty.

Edited January 26, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[ProudMary]

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I despise this adaptation of one of my favorite novels.  I prefer the vastly superior 1995 miniseries.  From what I can tell those who adore the 2005 version, they all seem to love Matthew MacFayden as Mr. Darcy.  I never see anyone gush about Kiera as Elizabeth.  I have noticed a trend with romance readers who read for the heroes loving this version.  I love romances for the heroines, and I filter my taste through that lens.  Kiera Knightley is no Elizabeth Darcy.  Lizzie is an attractive young woman who is never going to be the prettiest and she knows this.  She has accepted this and truly does not care.  She is clever, witty, and has a twinkle in her eye.  Keira's Lizzie has none of this.

Also, Jane Austen is all about the absurdities that play out underneath pristine drawing rooms with "civilized" people.  The Bennets are genteel but not rich.  They would never have pigs running through any part of Longbourn.  Joe Wright read that one snippet in the book where Lizzie walked to Netherfield Park and got mud on her petticoat, and he ran with it.  

@Ohiopirate02 Let me begin by saying that your opinion is every bit as valid as mine, but I disagree.

I first watched the 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice only 6 or 7 years ago. I had a long-standing aversion to "period" films, but had been prodded by several friends to read/watch Jane Austen books/movies. It happened to be playing on some cable TV channel and I caught it right at the beginning. I expected to flip the channel after 10 minutes or so, but instead I was completely taken by the film, especially by Keira Knightley's brilliant performance. (The Academy obviously agreed, awarding the then 19 year-old an Oscar nomination.) I now own the film on DVD and also own a CD of the stunningly beautiful musical score.

I read the book next. I enjoyed the book; I didn't love it. I know that many who love the book didn't care for the movie and preferred the mini-series, but I love the big-screen adaptation and while he may have made some stylistic, cinematic decisions that differed from the novel angering some purists, in my opinion director Joe Wright did nothing to debase Austen's story.

I then watched the 1995 mini-series, which I found to be representative of all the reasons I had hated "period pictures" to that point. I didn't care for it at all, except to say that Colin Firth, then 35, was at his peak level of attractiveness.

I've watched the movie dozens of times since, and as I mentioned in my earlier post, it sits at the top of my list of Most Romantic Movies.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

[JustHereForFood]

On 1/26/2022 at 7:16 PM, BlackberryJam said:

There is a big divide in those who loved the 2005 P&P and those who loved the 1995 miniseries. I’m in the miniseries camp. But the 2005 version is not universally loved.

I love both equally. But I would take out scenes from the 1995 version that were not in the book, specifically Darcy swimming, fencing and taking a bath (yes, I roll my eyes at his swimming meme 😉). It was supposed to be all from Elizabeth's perspective, so scenes with him alone are unnecessary.

21 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I gush about Keira as Elizabeth.  I absolutely love, love, love that performance.  Although, I didn't read the book so I understand my opinion is considered differently.

Keira was also nominated for the Oscar for it, so I cannot be the only one.  I wish that she had won.

I liked her a lot too and I read the book first. This movie is one of the reasons why I started to like her, because I was not a fan after Pirates of the Caribbean and King Arthur.

[RealHousewife]

22 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I despise this adaptation of one of my favorite novels.  I prefer the vastly superior 1995 miniseries.  From what I can tell those who adore the 2005 version, they all seem to love Matthew MacFayden as Mr. Darcy.  I never see anyone gush about Kiera as Elizabeth.  I have noticed a trend with romance readers who read for the heroes loving this version.  I love romances for the heroines, and I filter my taste through that lens.  Kiera Knightley is no Elizabeth Darcy.  Lizzie is an attractive young woman who is never going to be the prettiest and she knows this.  She has accepted this and truly does not care.  She is clever, witty, and has a twinkle in her eye.  Keira's Lizzie has none of this.

Intersting!

Isn't there a line in the movie about Lizzie not being the prettiest? I thought maybe I misheard. Cause uh, Keira Knightley?! She's so beautiful. 

[proserpina65]

On 1/26/2022 at 2:51 PM, RealHousewife said:

Eh, still not seeing the appeal of Ryan Gosling.

[Ms Blue Jay]

14 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

Intersting!

Isn't there a line in the movie about Lizzie not being the prettiest? I thought maybe I misheard. Cause uh, Keira Knightley?! She's so beautiful. 

Quote

Director Joe Wright was not initially keen on Keira Knightley playing Elizabeth, believing her to be too attractive. He changed his mind upon meeting her, deciding her tomboyish attitude would be perfect for the part. Or, as she tells it on The Graham Norton Show (2007) : "He initially thought I was too pretty, but then he met me and said 'Oh, no you're fine!'."

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Quote

Wright also had to balance who he thought was best for each role with what the producers wanted – mainly a big name attraction.[25] Though Wright had not initially pictured someone as attractive as English actress Keira Knightley for the lead role of Elizabeth Bennet,[22] he cast her after realising that the actress "is really a tomboy [and] has a lively mind and a great sense of humour".[6]

I think Joe Wright just fell in love with Keira.  He's directed her starring in 3 movies now.  Atonement and Anna Karenina are the other two.

I do love, love, love Keira but I do find her looks distracting in P&P.  I think she got, at least, a lip job.  I can't help but focus on it.  It does take me out of the movie.

Edited January 27, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[proserpina65]

21 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I gush about Keira as Elizabeth.  I absolutely love, love, love that performance.  Although, I didn't read the book so I understand my opinion is considered differently.

Her performance is so not Elizabeth Bennett.  That idiotic line about Mr. Darcy where she gushes "He's so rich!" is not something book Lizzie would ever say.  The director, writers, producers and actors clearly had no idea what Jane Austen was writing about.

20 hours ago, ProudMary said:

I read the book next. I enjoyed the book; I didn't love it. I know that many who love the book didn't care for the movie and preferred the mini-series, but I love the big-screen adaptation and while he may have made some stylistic, cinematic decisions that differed from the novel angering some purists, in my opinion director Joe Wright did nothing to debase Austen's story.

Joe Wright had no clue when it came to what Jane Austen was saying about society and the people in it.  Seeing the movie before reading the book makes a huge difference.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I've seen many adaptations of P&P and I enjoyed them all.  Bridget Jones' Diary, Hallmark versions, even a Mormon version.  LOL.  In adaptations, things change.  

[Ohiopirate02]

7 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Her performance is so not Elizabeth Bennett.  That idiotic line about Mr. Darcy where she gushes "He's so rich!" is not something book Lizzie would ever say.  The director, writers, producers and actors clearly had no idea what Jane Austen was writing about.

Joe Wright had no clue when it came to what Jane Austen was saying about society and the people in it.  Seeing the movie before reading the book makes a huge difference.

I think part of the problem is directors like Joe Wright and whoever did the one adaptation of Persuasion with Sally Hawkins do is try to shove 21st century notions of romance onto Jane Austen's work.  This does not work because Jane Austen was against those notions.   See Sense and Sensibility where Marianne almost dies because of her romantic nature.  Or Nothanger Abbey. Jane would never have written a proposal in the rain.  Or had Anne Elliott sprint through Bath to tell Captain Wentworth her feeling.   To Jane, those were things to be mocked not celebrated.  When the couples finally get together in her books, it's done quietly.  This just doesn't translate well into film.  

[ProudMary]

2 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I've seen many adaptations of P&P and I enjoyed them all.  Bridget Jones' Diary, Hallmark versions, even a Mormon version.  LOL.  In adaptations, things change.  

I watched one Hallmark version and decided that was the line I couldn't cross again. 😆 

I did enjoy a P&P sequel set 6 years after Lizzie and Darcy are married, Death Comes to Pemberley with Matthew Rhys as Darcy. Matthew Goode is Wickham in this one.   https://m.imdb.com/title/tt2951788/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

Did you ever watch The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube? A modern-day re-imagining of P&P, each episode is 3-6 minutes long and there are almost 200 of them! I'm sure Austen purists find them detestable, but I thought they were fun and enjoyable. They also won an Emmy in the then-new Interactive Programming category.   http://www.pemberleydigital.com/the-lizzie-bennet-diaries/

 

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

No, but I really appreciate your recommendations.  I saw "Becoming Ms. Bennet" or "Pride and Prejudice: Cut" (2019) you know how TV movies often have several titles.  LOL.   It was about actors playing roles in a P&P movie adaptation whose lives start to parallel their P&P character counterparts.  And I saw Pride and Prejudice (2003) which is a very, very, very, very 2000s modern adaptation apparently and vaguely about Ladder Day Saints.  I can't exactly recommend that one.  But in both adaptations, the Darcy actor was great.

My Mom is obsessed with the Ryan Paevey Hallmark series - Unleashing Mr. Darcy and Marrying Mr. Darcy.  Which is understandable because Ryan is very hot.  But I haven't seen those yet.

Edited January 28, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[BlackberryJam]

I can't have the P&P 2005/1995 discussion again. I just don't have the emotional energy.

So, why not discuss the least romantic relationship films of all time? 

Looking for Mr. Goodbar. I saw that one when I was maybe 10? My parents had no boundaries when it came to what I watched. It was the 70s! Anyway, that film terrified me about going to bars, having sex with multiple partners, having sex at all, taking drugs...all in all a film that seemed design to convince women they needed to stay home, only ever sleep with one man and never have fun. Or else you get raped and murdered.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? That film was brilliant with brilliant performances and it convinced me marriage was horrible and partners turn on one another in hatred and bitterness but are locked into it for life.

Closer. Jude Law, Julia Roberts, Clive Owen and Natalie Portman in a tragic version of musical beds. The only sympathetic character is Natalie's and she's a stripper 

Spoiler

who lies about even her name.

Sometimes I wonder about how fucked up I am when it comes to relationships based upon my early and inappropriate exposure to film and TV.

[Irlandesa]

11 hours ago, ProudMary said:

I watched one Hallmark version and decided that was the line I couldn't cross again.

But Hallmark's aren't really adaptations.  They rob the title and character names but don't adhere to much of anything else about it.

[JustHereForFood]

 

On 1/27/2022 at 9:35 PM, proserpina65 said:

Her performance is so not Elizabeth Bennett.  That idiotic line about Mr. Darcy where she gushes "He's so rich!" is not something book Lizzie would ever say.  The director, writers, producers and actors clearly had no idea what Jane Austen was writing about.

She wasn't gushing about him, she was trying to explain why she doesn't like him.

On 1/27/2022 at 9:34 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

I do love, love, love Keira but I do find her looks distracting in P&P.  

The one thing that used to bug me about her was that thing she did with her chin, pushing it forward. She seems to get it under control now.

I wonder if people from that era would consider her beautiful like we do. Beauty standards change with times and I believe too thin women were not so desirable back then, they could have been considerd too frail. Kate Winslet in Sense and Sensibility is who I think about as the ideal of beauty from that era (and coincidentally one of the most beutiful looks I have ever seen, IMO).

[Ms Blue Jay]

Just now, JustHereForFood said:

The one thing that used to bug me about her was that thing she did with her chin, pushing it forward. She seems to get it under control now.

Apparently Joe Wright hates her pouting?  LOL

Quote

Director Joe Wright specifically instructed Keira Knightley never to pout throughout the whole movie. There is, however, one scene in where she does, but that scene was shot by the second unit without Wright present. According to Knightley, Wright still complains when watching this movie over her breaking this "pout ban."

 

[PepSinger]

On 1/26/2022 at 12:47 AM, Irlandesa said:

I'm going to throw out an oddball opinion:  Secretary.

I agree with your oddball opinion. She found a loving, healthy, consenting relationship. I thought her sexual discovery was beautiful, and I adored him opening up to her.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I enjoyed that movie but it's been 20 years .  I barely have any memory of it. I should try it again.

[proserpina65]

On 1/27/2022 at 7:39 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

I've seen many adaptations of P&P and I enjoyed them all.  Bridget Jones' Diary, Hallmark versions, even a Mormon version.  LOL.  In adaptations, things change.  

But the very essence of the story shouldn't change, and that's what Joe Wright completely screwed up with P&P.  Hell, the Bollywood-inspired version, Bride & Prejudice, was a far better adaptation.  (Plus, it had Naveen Andrews in a dance number, and you really can't go wrong with that.)

On 1/29/2022 at 6:48 PM, JustHereForFood said:

I wonder if people from that era would consider her beautiful like we do.

I don't consider her beautiful.

On 1/29/2022 at 6:48 PM, JustHereForFood said:

She wasn't gushing about him, she was trying to explain why she doesn't like him.

The scene does a horrible job of making that clear.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I love Naveen Andrews. I  need to watch that.

[andromeda331]

5 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

But the very essence of the story shouldn't change, and that's what Joe Wright completely screwed up with P&P.  Hell, the Bollywood-inspired version, Bride & Prejudice, was a far better adaptation.  (Plus, it had Naveen Andrews in a dance number, and you really can't go wrong with that.)

I don't consider her beautiful.

The scene does a horrible job of making that clear.

I love that movie. 

[Oreo2234]

I love the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. However, I haven't read the book so I don't care about whether or not it is a faithful adaptation. 

Edited March 3, 2022 by Oreo2234

[RealHousewife]

1 hour ago, Oreo2234 said:

I love the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. However, I haven't read the book so I don't care about whether or not it is a faithful adaptation. 

 I just got the book! Really excited to read it. Debating on whether I should watch the 2005 movie first or not. 

[proserpina65]

15 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

 I just got the book! Really excited to read it. Debating on whether I should watch the 2005 movie first or not. 

How much you enjoy the 2005 movie seems to depend heavily on whether or not you've read the book, if that helps any.  (I'm not saying all Austen readers hate that movie, but it does trend in that direction.)