Lost in Austen (2008) User Reviews

Surprising twists to a classic

[ecogirlveghead · 8/10 · 30 July 2013]

I didn't make the mistake of reading reviews before watching this so I went in with no expectations. Before going any further I have to admit to having watched the 90's version of P & P and read the novel dozens of times. A true Austen freak, I am.

Like other reviewers, at first I was offended by the crudeness and lack of tact displayed by the Amanda character when she entered the world of the novel. How dare any true Austen fan behave in a way that displays such ignorance of Lizzie's world? She should have fit right in. But then I realized the choice to NOT make Amanda a perfect Eliza Bennet clone made for a much more dynamic story and more amusing moments between the characters. Instead of giving her the perfect accent, the perfect deportment, and the perfect manners right from the start, it took her some time to fit in. Her clumsy manner and bluntness caused her to make some mistakes that would seem impossible for a true Austen fan but enabled unexpected twists and turns in the story. And its these twists and the what ifs that I loved. I loved that the wrong people fell in love. I love that everything she thought was supposed to happen didn't happen. If I wanted to watch a P & P imitation, I would just watch the real thing again. I found the movie Becoming Jane, which attempted to follow a truer Jane Austen style, to be a sappy and insipid imitation that was truly forgettable and predictable. No one else can do Jane Austen and Lost in Austen doesn't try to. Instead, its fun and impertinent in a way that I think Jane herself would appreciate.

Delectable concoction!

[sandover · 8/10 · 15 September 2008]

...as they would say, wouldn't they? And then, in a Mr. Bennett manner, aside, "I wonder...", but audible enough to be overheard. I know this sounds a bit delirious, I'm just trying to show I was infected by the first episode - by zest! And a racy perplexity! I mean, the premise of undertaking this demands a serious grip on so many levels: how to make Austen's imitation of language not sound ridiculous, the heroine's punchlines not of-the-wall, the collision of the two worlds plausible and funny, mostly; it's my impression that the team succeeds all-in-all. It seems somewhat elliptic or restrained sometimes, but as Jane points out "without Elizabeth the equilibrium of this house is...fragile". For what does our uneasiness mean regarding the other side of the wall? What is Elizabeth doing in the 21st century? Can she really be enjoying herself? I think yes; I don't think we're going to see her for some time (maybe a sequel; good point!); for she is the splendor of the novel, so, once removed, we feel uneasy about our world and what it's doing, well, there, once we step into it!Hence the excitement, the fun and the suspense. "I wonder..." what comes next!

Delightful and Funny

[Claire_I · 7/10 · 18 January 2009]

The mini series was absolutely sweet and funny and it will be appreciated by real Jane Austen fanatics. It does resemble the weirdest dream that only authors of fan fiction have had. At times the plot lines turn into silly situations but for most of the time they are quite enjoyable. The young actors make the most of it. I wish response has been better so that the series can be longer. I also wish they had made one about Lizzy's stay in London, which could provide for situations way funnier than those during Amanda's stay in Longbourne. On a different note it does make you think about whether or not things were the way Jane Austen described them but not enough to make you disillusioned with her world. Just the right amount of real-ness is attached to the book characters. To the book fanatics I'd recommend watching without prejudice and you'll have fun.

Proud sensibilities prejudiced and persuaded!

[Moviefile · 10/10 · 18 September 2008]

Three episodes in and I feel now is the time to say a big well done to all concerned. As a long time Austen lover and a fan of period/costume drama I was unsure what to expect from this reworking of a favourite story. As others have commented this bears similarities with 'Life on Mars', a person taken out of modern day life and deposited into the past, albeit Jane Austen's fictitious one. Fortunately Amanda (played by Jemima Rooper) is a devotee of the novel and is genuinely pleased to meet her favourite characters. However, and this where the series really takes a life of its own, the characters are not as she (or we) imagined them from the book, and events start taking different paths than those in the book. Amanda, horrified, tries to restore the story to its proper track but events spiral out of control and she herself is unsure whether she is now part of the story, and if so does she 'become' the character who in the novel was Elizabeth Bennet? A wealth of talent is here and I pick Hugh Bonneville as Mr Bennet and Alex Kingston as his wife for special mention. Who would have thought that they would be as enjoyable as Benjamin Whitrow & Alison Steadman in the 1995 P&P, but they are - and if this was a straightforward P&P remake they would do very well indeed! There are moments of complete hilarity where old and new collide, in music and manners and speech and it is done brilliantly, and, if you know the story, you wonder what liberties with the plot will be taken next. Casting is first rate...none of the characters are quite 'right' but in the context of this story they are brilliant, the obnoxious Darcy, the drunk Bingley and the threatening Mrs Bennet! Locations costumes and period detail are excellent and I look forward to the rest of the series which I recommend to you.

I suppose that we can expect more in a similar vein as there are many stories that could be re-jigged. Holmes with a modern day Watson anyone? I think it is probably more entertaining to see a modern person cope with the privations of life in a bygone age than say to tell Elizabeth Bennet's story in our 21st century. Anyone remember Adam Adamant Lives? I almost find myself hoping that they manage to spin this out for longer and embellish the book even more! Full marks so far - it's very good!

Brilliant!

[billcooper32 · 10/10 · 12 September 2008]

Hard to imagine how this could be better. The casting is close to perfect. Mr and Mrs Bennet as played by Hugh Bonneville and Alex Kingston quickly outshine previous inhabitants of these roles. This Mrs Bennet is neurotic but also strong, and Mr Bennet is suitably acidic but also very affable and easy to like. The Bennet sisters are very well presented. Jane has a very gentle quality. Kitty and Lydia and Mary are a pleasure to see on screen. Gemma Arterton is as impressive as we would expect in the role of Lizzie. Best of all is Jemima Rooper as Amanda, a fine young actress who here gets the chance to take centre stage and to properly show us what she can do. The men inhabit their parts well - some very good work from Tom Riley as Wickhan, Eliot Cowan as a smouldering Mr Darcy and Tom Mison as a very winning Mr Bingley. Christina Cole is on great icy form as Mr Bingley's sister. And Mr Collins is truly repulsive as played by Guy Henry, looking like the grim reaper and finding a grotesque comedy in this very oily character. But what is most clever about this new 'spin' on Pride and Prejudice is the way it takes a story we all think we know and then turns it upside down. Guy Andrews writes very funny dialogue for both Amanda as a modern woman and the characters we know from Jane Austen. The comic set pieces are directed with real aplomb by Dan Zeff, but it's also surprisingly moving at times. Costumes and sets all look good. Having seen this I don't know how we'll take another 'straight' Austen adaptation seriously again!

Life on Mars meets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead . .

[alfa-16 · 5 September 2008]

. . . in Longbourne.

I may be asked to hand in my Austen Purists card but I liked it. And I think ITV are far better advised to try and cash in on the Austen market with this type of product than with the anaemic reproductions of BBC period drama they treated us to last year.

It's limited but it's funny. One of mainstays is that the characters are all subtly different and we are mostly offstage with scenes from the novel happening elsewhere. Lydia is attractively vivacious rather than promiscuously giddy, Jane is not that pretty, Darcy is not offensively haughty, the stranger from the future is not offensively gauche, and Mrs Bennett who has been very quick to understand the threat the newcomer poses to her daughters AND take action, is set up for very interesting developments - more a fearsome adversary so far than a cringing embarrassment.

Lizzie even looks like Lizzie should, but since she's hardly been in it so far, we'll have to wait and see what Gemma Arterton comes up with when she gets a few lines. It's a big ask, so I'll be interested to see whether she and Jemima Rooper can carry it off.

But you can count me in. Definitely.

Mr. Darcy as Colin Firth..

[sbjalr0812-745-637907 · 7/10 · 22 July 2013]

Coin Furth is just a guy who plays Mr. Darcy but Elliot Cowan becomes the real Mr Darcy who doesn't know he is a character in a book that will one day become Pride and Prejudice. He managed to make me sympathetic even though with the balance of the events mixed up the reasons Mr. Darcy goes from being a unsympathetic to sympathetic character are kind of gone. The concept is cool and I think the casting was spot on but I think that the redemption doesn't really happen. In the end it's just entertainment but it's fun, and Amanda is like most women who deserve to find their own Mr Darcy rather than marry someone who doesn't love them.

A Readers' Fantasy Come True

[yossarian100 · 10/10 · 3 October 2008]

I've enjoyed Jane Austen's writing but I wouldn't consider myself a big fan. However, I loved LOST IN AUSTEN and I found it to be a readers' fantasy come true.

What would happen, what would it be like, if you had a favorite novel, one that you revisited frequently, a novel that you absolutely loved, one that you could get lost in, and suddenly you did? What would it be like to discover yourself in the middle of that story, not as one of the characters, but as yourself? Wouldn't that be totally amazing?

Well, that's exactly what happens in LOST IN AUSTEN and I loved every minute of it, as anyone who loves to read would also. This is as much a celebration of both reading and storytelling as it is about Jane Austen.

A lot of attention to detail, a cast who look and behave exactly as you expect them to look and behave, a story you're already familiar with, but now toss in the reader herself and stir the mix. WOW!

Magic!

I had a wonderful time watching this and I hope you do as well.

I loved it! But...

[sherryisidore · 7/10 · 6 January 2018]

I really loved it. I love all things Jane Austin. Watched this movie twice in one day. (Stuck at home. Bomb Cyclone.) So, I obviously don't claim to be a purist. It was just a good, entertaining series. There were just a couple of things that caught my eye while watching the series. But, there always are, aren't there? Like, how long was Amanda there? Did she wash her hair? ( Because if she was washing her hair, she had to be straightening it too. It looked pretty obviously kept up with modern tools. And lots of hairspray.) How in the world did Darcy go from hating her in one scene to being in love with her in another scene? Why was Wickham even allowed to step on the property at Pemberly? How did Elizabeth get a job as a nanny with no references at all? All, things that one thinks (or maybe just me) while watching the movie. But, it didn't spoil it for me at all. It was all good fun. I didn't take it so seriously. I don't think it's meant to be taken that way. If taken as it is, I am pretty sure most will enjoy this movie too!

Wonderful breath of fresh air!

[tiarin_angel · 10/10 · 7 September 2008]

I am utterly captivated by this refreshing take on Austen. I used to love romantic periodical novels when much younger, but they have since fallen out of favour with me, as they are all so alike. Here I am quite unaware, as of yet, what may happen and I absolutely adore the suspense.

The actors are well chosen for their task and I am quickly falling in love with them one by one. I never thought I would see Mr Bingley as adorable, but in this it is quite so. The characterizations over all are very well thought out, especially Mr Bennet (the father). I must also give Alex Kingston some cheer for her portrayal of Mrs Bennet, as it is a far more layered performance than one would first expect.

Our leading lady is also quite the find. She is very human without being the typical foot-in-mouth we usually see in these trapped-in-another-world stories. Not to say that she doesn't make mistakes, but it has yet to become painful or terribly unbelievable in any way.

So to summarize: Watch this series, not because you are an Austen puritan, which may make you regret such action, but because you love periodicals, fantasy and beautiful language. Oh, and romance that takes its sweet time. ^^

No Prejudice here, 'Austen' shines through

[cnycitylady · 7/10 · 1 October 2015]

"Lost in Austen" is not quite a retelling or a modern take on Austen's most famous work "Pride and Prejudice." It's a unique spin on the story through the eyes and experiences of a long time Austen fan Amanda Price (Jemima Rooper) who somehow enters a portal to the story and switches places with the lead--Elizabeth Bennett (Gemma Arterton). Every girl's dream right? well the dream quickly goes south as the story changes due to her presence. She soon finds that the characters are too much like how they were written or not at all how Austen intended them to be.

The show is charming and fun. When the classic tale alters you're upset and amused watching all of the wild ways the characters could have developed and you wonder how Amanda will fix it. The only problem with the story is that Pride and Prejudice is so ingrained in our hearts and minds that you still kind of hope that Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett will end up together and it slightly takes away from your being able to enjoy the new romance story set before you. 7.4/10

This is rollicking good fun!

[whistlestop · 9/10 · 3 September 2008]

Just seen the first episode of Lost In Austen, and we (husband and I) loved it! I think it helps understanding if you actually know the original "Pride and Prejudice" story and are an Austen fan. Amanda Price gets dropped into the Bennet household by chance and has to feel her way through the social scene, getting strange looks as she reveals more than she should know and uses modern expressions causing raised eyebrows. We laughed out loud at several points, and the expressions on the actors' faces are certainly worth watching.

I did spend a lot of time wondering just how Lizzie was getting on the 21st century, and would love to see some coverage of that - I don't know if this will be included in future episodes! I imagine it would be more confusing for her, as Amanda knows the book and the era while Elizabeth can have no idea of what modern day life is like.

Can't wait for the next instalment, so I give this series a big thumbs up! :)

fun Jemima Rooper

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 15 July 2016]

Londoner Amanda Price (Jemima Rooper) is a fanatic for Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. She reads it over and over again. The modern world is unsatisfying. Her uncouth boyfriend drunkenly proposes to her. Elizabeth Bennet walks through a hidden door traveling from the Austen literary world into Amanda's bathroom. At the second time, Amanda walks through the door while Elizabeth stays behind and the door gets locked. Amanda pretends to be Elizabeth's friend as the story of Pride and Prejudice unfolds. The story goes wrong and Amanda struggles to set things right.

Jemima Rooper is a great brassy fish out of water. She's a terrific comedic actress. I don't think this is only for fans of Pride and Prejudice. Although a passing knowledge of the characters would be helpful. A deep fandom may actually hinder enjoyment because this is more like an alternate universe. It's great to have a Hex reunion with Christina Cole. I would have liked to have Elizabeth stay in the entire story especially if she's played by Gemma Arterton. This is a fun romp for fans of all kinds.

Good idea, poor grasp of classic characters

[dinaia · 5/10 · 8 August 2009]

I suppose everyone in love with Jane Austen imagined herself as a Jane Austen heroine, in Regency England. From this 'wishful thinking' standpoint "Lost in Austen" is a very appealing idea, as we get to see this modern girl who gets to be some kind of a Jane Austen character. The good art direction, the appropriate costumes and beautiful scenery make for a good immersion in Jane Austen's world but unfortunately this immersion stops here as some characters are complete opposite to what Jane Austen intended and sometimes so unfaithfully altered that I found myself thinking this must be a parody of Jane Austen's world. But if this is a parody and if the message is: people should not live in fictional worlds, in love with fictional characters because this is as shallow and unfulfilling as the characters and story are, then why do we get that ending? So I can say I was dissatisfied with the characters and plot, but still I recommend it to every Austen fan because the idea is beautiful and for some, this might just be enough.

one of my favourite series of the year!

[melly47-1 · 10/10 · 1 December 2008]

I loved this series. The scene where Amanda sings "down town" was the funniest thing i've seen all year! I have to say that my favourite scene through out the series was the lake scene. When Mr Darcy declared his love for Amanda gave me goosebumps! The chemistry between the two main characters was such a joy to watch every week. I really enjoyed this series, right from episode one till episode four! I strongly recommend this! The storyline, acting from the crew, and the scenery are all equally fantastic. For me its Elliot Cowen vs Matthew Mcfadyen in the role of Darcy. I know that Colin Firth is said to be the best Darcy, but for me... its just not there. Jemima Rooper was great too. I expected to be jealous of Amanda at the end, but I just ended up going "awwwwwwwwwww" and also played it back at least twenty times! Loved it, loved it, loved it!

Massively enjoyable re-imagining of a classic

[LouE15 · 9/10 · 20 September 2008]

Oh! what a brilliant idea: modern Austen fan Amanda Price finds herself in a through-the-wardrobe situation, swapping places with Elizabeth Bennet, none other than the heroine of "Pride & Prejudice". Of course, people aren't simple, and things definitely do not go as planned. I'm absolutely loving this show – you can watch it again, for now, on ITV's catch up site - and I'm completely gripped. I can't wait for the next episode and I'm getting the DVD the moment it's out. It's hysterical - who knew that ITV would hit on the perfect solution for the modern girl?! – my being a huge Austen fan doesn't stop me from energetically embracing a new and funny perspective.

ITV's past record on period dramas is decidedly patchy: 2007's excellent "Northanger Abbey" is a rare triumph. There can be a lot of flash and glitter to many of their dramas, that can belie thin scripts and hurried time-slots. But they've hit upon a brilliant solution here: by uniting the back-in-time concept with the much-loved period drama format, they get to skip conventions, get away with the outrageous liberties they're known for, play with time lines and generally have a complete ball. The mostly positive reviews here seem to confirm this. My favourite moment so far: heroine Amanda Price, nursing Jane at Netherfield in Lizzie's place, pulls a blister of paracetamol from her dress at the crucial moment. I nearly fell off the sofa laughing at this and countless other verbal and visual gags.

Yes, really you do need to know "Pride & Prejudice" quite well to make the most of the humour – no problem for most viewers, I suspect. The excellent cast make the most of the freedom their altered characters gives them: love-struck Bingley in free-fall; controlling, prurient, clever, watchful Darcy (striking sparks with Amanda despite being quite mean to her!); sniping Miss Bingley; and, as others have noted, highest praise to Hugh Bonneville's outstanding Mr Bennet, a sort of period drama President Bartlett: everybody wants him for a father. I think it's interesting that Lizzie, who we saw for no more than about a minute in episode 1, managed in even that short time to suggest very interesting possibilities for her alternative story - well played. But Jemima Rooper carries the day with great spirit as Amanda Price, negotiating her way through an alien world, without altering her essential self.

And that script! – silly, funny, sharp, gloriously irreverent, freely referencing every period drama that ever lived – it's a refreshing wonder. Please, will someone give that scriptwriter a lot of money and some editorial support to write new shows? Nicely done, ITV.

Bad Fanfiction

[warsawer · 25 September 2008]

much worse than the usual fanfiction to P&P one can find in internet. Amanda - the main romantic lead - is a typical Mary Sue, having all of the heroes fall in love with her; from Bingley and Collins to Mr. Darcy. The premise sounded interesting, but it's wasted with a number of clichés and crass sense of humour. Unfortunately, even those situations that might have been funny, resulting from the obvious clash of cultures, are ruined by huge historical inaccuracies. For example Regency people did use toothbrushes, didn't eat chocolate in bars, and didn't speak a strange mixture of Old English and modernisms. One shouldn't expect to find Austen's wit in Andrews's writing.

The fact that Elizabeth Bennet is practically excluded from the series and replaced with Amanda - a modern and younger version of Mrs. Bennet – ruins the whole. One couldn't believe in Darcy's happy end with someone like that, and one prefers not to think about it.

All of the other characters are far fetched caricatures of what Austen created. Only some of them being entertaining. Wickham undoubtedly wins the show.

From the beginning of the first episode Amanda keeps assuring us that she loves the book and wants to keep its plot intact, only to finally admit that all she always wanted for herself is Darcy. The producers too promised us a new perspective on our beloved novel, only to prove that everybody can ruin it.

Austen fans, of which there are millions and billions, will like this new, innovative addition

[inkblot11 · 7/10 · 13 May 2010]

Amanda Price (Jemima Rooper) is a typical British twenty-something. She has a steady but unimaginative boyfriend and an it-pays-my-bills kind of job. But, what she really longs for is a great love and a worthwhile life, like the one of her most admired heroine, Elizabeth Bennett of the fictional Pride and Prejudice. She deeply loves Jane Austen, Mr. Darcy and the Georgian manners of 200 years hence. So, one day, after she receives the most unsophisticated of marriage proposals from her fellow, she retreats to her room to think. There, unbelievably, is Miss Lizzie Bennett herself, who leads Amanda through a wardrobe and into the gardens of Longbourne, home to the Bennetts. Once there, Lizzie closes the door and there is no going back. Now, Amanda is living with the other four Bennett daughters and Lizzie is in 21st century London. As it appears, Mr. Bingley has just moved into Netherfield Hall with his sister, Caroline and Mr. Darcy, mimicking the start of the novel. Therefore, Amanda is confident that she will be privy to her favorite book's events. Not so! Her arrival as an outsider seems to work havoc, for Mr. Bingley seems more interested in Amanda than in Jane Bennett, his future fiancée, and it is Mr. Collins, instead, who succeeds in attracting the lovely Jane, leaving Charlotte Lucas in tears. Mr. Darcy is sour and prickly, more so than even the book allows, and he seems totally uninterested in love. How can Amanda set things right and make it back to her own century, too? This is a nice take on Jane Austen's beloved book, P and P, and its much-loved characters. The lesson learned is that we may envy the happily ever after of books but its not reality and it may not satisfy real people. Or does it? That said, it is such fun to see, as Amanda does, Austen's memorable cast fall for the wrong people and set off a delightful, unexpected mayhem. Eliciting sighs, too, is the gorgeous scenery, costuming, and photography while the script-direction are clever and lively. Therefore, if you are an Austen fan, which may well include nearly everyone, you will be glad to embrace this new companion piece.

Lost in a good TV show.

[bookman64 · 10/10 · 25 September 2008]

I'm not generally a fan of period dramas. I've never read "Pride And Prejudice" and I'm not sure if I've ever seen any adaptations. I was intrigued, however, with the premise of this series. Partly because it seemed similar to one of my favourite books of recent years: "The Eyre Affair" by Jasper Fforde (although this also, conversely, almost stopped me watching it).

I'm glad I did watch it. Right from the beginning, I was enthralled and entertained. The cast were superb. The writing was wonderful. Although it gave a modern twist to the story it was obviously done with great affection for the source novel and the use of language was very clever. It was also very funny in places.

Overall, one of the best TV shows I've seen this year. It's even tempted me to read the book and it's really not the style of book I would usually read.

modern romance set in the milieu of Jane Austen

[Dunham16 · 6/10 · 29 October 2014]

A character named Amanda Price living in modern London is not unlike Jane Austen's Fanny Price in her novel MANSFIELD PARK. In this romantic fantasy she enters the milieu of another Austen novel- PRIDE AND PREJUDICE which does not follow the novel's storyboard and includes references to the other Austen novels among them NORTHANGER ABBEY, PERSUASION, EMMA and SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. Though well acted and edited the hodgepodge of an Austen related plot not following the novel it claims to mimic as well as the juxtaposition of eighteenth and twentieth century settings can be upsetting at times. Though each scene is fascinating and well done when excerpted the hodgepodge of the changing visual and the changing storyline from the novel may delight one viewer yet disappoint another.

refreshing and touching

[stormygail50 · 10/10 · 10 December 2008]

i stumbled onto this mini series quite by accident, but fell in love with it right away. the idea was a great and the acting was awesome. everyone did such a wonderful job acting. their characters were so alive and real--or what you would expect--miss rooper was delightful as Amanda, she carried you right with her from her attraction to her love for D'Arcy. Elliot cowan was memorable as D'Arcy, and had you attracted right from the first. i love the way they went into the characters more such as wickham, i found myself liking this character and had me wondering..was he attracted to Amanda as well, maybe in the path of falling love with her. if you get the chance to see this series, DO IT! you will not be disappointed, i wasn't. even die hard Jane Austen fans will love this series,, it's refreshing and is a different take on the book.

ENJOY !!

Give it a chance...

[Enchantress19 · 9/10 · 30 March 2009]

Unfortunately, I started watching Episode 4 before I really knew what the show was about. Not a good idea. I was furious with the way these people had twisted around some of my favorite characters or all time.

Immediately I sat down to watch them all, in order, to see how irritated I could get with the producers...But I didn't. I became completely engrossed.

Everything was happening for a reason...Nobody is really to blame for the mistakes I thought I saw in the fourth episode. I came to feel sympathy for Amanda instead of hate.

How real it all was...if a 21st century girl switches places with Elizabeth Bennett. I realized that I didn't read "Pride and Prejudice" because I am in love with Mr. Darcy, but because I am in love with Elizaebth Bennett and Mr. Darcy together.

It made me think...what would I do if I switched places with Lizzy Bennett?

Nice idea, poorly executed

[lallen08 · 1/10 · 26 October 2009]

If you are a true Pride and Prejudice lover as Amanda Price claims to be but is obviously not, you will cringe throughout this film. Every lover of the book has the fantasy of entering that world. It could have been great fun to watch if it had been done properly. First, no P&P lover would be as idiotic as Amanda - cursing, drinking, behaving like a common tart. I couldn't believe for one second that the Bennetts would accept her into their home with that behavior. I've only read the book 5 or 6 times but I like to think that even I would know how to behave if I stumbled upon Merryton and its environs. I'd talk funny, but I could manage the rest. Not Amanda. The whole story is full of just the clichéd sort of humor I'd have thought would be absent given the raves here on IMDb - spunky 21st century girl in straitlaced 18th century keeps screwballing things up! Doggone it that's funny! And she's a mouthy, drunken chippy. Darcy wouldn't look at her twice - anyone who knows the book, knows that.

Brilliant!

[Qanqor · 10/10 · 24 April 2010]

I just watched the whole thing. I hadn't even realized it was a mini-series, I simply got the DVD from netflix and popped it in. It didn't offer me the option to select episodes, it just played the whole thing as one big movie.

One big, wonderful, delightful movie! I haven't enjoyed a movie this much in years. It was a complete treat. I love Pride & Prejudice; I've read the book, and seen most (maybe all?) of the screen adaptations, some multiple times. And I'm usually a bit of a purist, but I thought this might be fun, so I gave it a try. It well exceeded my expectations. I'm still aglow with enjoyment.

What made the whole thing work was the deep underlying respect for the original source. Indeed, to fully enjoy and appreciate this work, I think you truly do need to be a fan of the original. Know the whole story, all the characters, everything. Be able to appreciate exactly what's *supposed* to be going on and how messed up everything is getting. Only then can you truly empathize with the protagonist's dismay as things run further and further off the tracks. This was clearly made by P&P fans for P&P fans.

It was also excellently crafted in its own right. The plot had me guessing several times, and I was never wholly sure exactly where it would end up. And there were quite a few surprises along the way. And much of the pseudo-Austen dialog was wonderful. And the performances were mostly excellent. Mr. Bennet, in particular, (always a favorite character of mine) was superb. Mr. Darcy was the only worthy Darcy I've ever seen outside of Colin Firth.

Yes, I could pick a few nits. A minor character here or there wasn't quite the way I'd envision them. One or two scenes strain credulity, period or otherwise. In particular (without giving away spoilers), when one (minor) character reveals something shocking to Amanda: why is she telling a complete stranger such a deep, dark secret???? But on the whole, there's so much good that the nits are easy to overlook.

The highest praise I can give it, and I swear this is what I was thinking when the whole thing was over: it was as if Jane Austen herself had somehow lived into modern times, and, armed with both her period and modern sensibilities, had decided to have some fun with her classic old work. The complex plot, the wit, the beloved characters with fresh lines in fresh situations... it was like having fresh, brand new Pride & Prejudice, beyond the original.

It is interesting to note the polarizing effect this work has had. I've never seen a set of IMDb reviews like this: all 9-10 stars or 1, with hardly any grades in between. It seems to be adore-it-or-despise-it. Count my strongly in the adore-it crowd.

Very cool! (*spoiler alert*)

[Kaudi08 · 9/10 · 14 February 2011]

Like so many others walking the earth; I am a Jane Austen fan. And like so many others; I have my favorites; of both the stories themselves, as well as the movies in which our film makers try to capture Ms. Austen's brilliance.

And let's be honest, we can get a bit critical when it comes to the works of Ms. Austen; as we fans like to protect her. We are not always kind to the people behind (as well as those who are in front of) of the movie cameras.

Well, I had the fortune of stumbling across this 'Lost in Austen' mini-series just last week and I truly enjoyed it.

I think the concept is fantastic and fun as we watch how things get altered on the arrival of Ms. Price; and what she has to do in order to get our beloved 'Pride and Prejudice' back on track! Not an easy task.

But ahhhh, when it is all said and done, to remain behind, in the arms of Darcy...tell me - who hasn't dreamt of that?!

I can only hope that more 'Lost is Austen' programs are in the making and headed our way!