OK, if you don't like people breaking into song unexpectedly, don't go see this movie - let me just say that upfront!

I went to see this re-work of my favourite novel and thought it would be atrocious and envisaged walking out of the theatre in disgust in advance. What I got was an explosion of colour and music, Bollywood style, and sure some of the songs were pretty awful, but hey, there were a few terrible numbers in Grease too, and I still love that movie!

The lead players were all virtually unknown to me but they were perfect in their roles. The role of Lalita (the Elizabeth role in the original book) was perfectly cast - she was beautiful and she really held the whole movie together. And Martin Henderson was perfect as the American version of the disdainful Mr Darcy, this time Mr Will Darcy.

Go and see this film if you are open to something new - it really is quite a faithful re-work of the story, and it is very entertaining.

The only people who won't enjoy this are people who hate musicals with a passion, or people who are purists to the original.

If you liked Chicago, then you can definitely enjoy this one too. (That also had some dodgy old songs, but the story carried you past those parts!)

Bring on the Bollywood!

A nice attempt to make Bollywood in the mainstream, and using Jane Austen's classic novel in the process, but this doesn't all work for me, and the less said about the so-called 'hilarious' supporting cast the better.

Dull.

Back in 2000, Aishwarya Rai made a wonderful film ("I Have Found It"). It was an Indian film made in the Tamil region (sometimes called 'Tamilwood' as opposed to 'Bollywood' which are films made in Hindi) and it was an Indian retelling of Jane Austin's "Sense and Sensibility". I thoroughly loved the film and was captivated by Rai's acting and great beauty. So, it certainly wasn't very surprising that I bought a copy not only of this film but "Bride & Prejudice"--as once again, Rai is in an Indian film based on an Austin novel. However, "Bride & Prejudice" isn't exactly a Bollywood film, but is an interesting hybrid. Parts of the film were made in Northern India, as well as the UK and the US. The director, Gurinder Chadha, is of Indian descent but was born in Kenya and raised in the UK, so her making a film that blends cultures (like her other famous film, "Bend It Like Beckham") is a natural.

It's Bollywood roots are apparent in several ways. First, much of the film is made in India and is about Indians. However, in addition, the song and dance numbers that make Bollywood films so unusual and endearing are also present. They don't look and sound 100% authentic, but like the Jane Austin novel, they seem "inspired" by Bollywood.

Interestingly, in this film, the differences between the leading lady and Mr. Darcy are not just social but cultural, as Darcy is an American. BUT, being a true hybrid film, the handsome actor that took on this role Martin Henderson) is actually a Kiwi--a New Zealander who now lives in the US! Some other nods to the West is the brief appearance of Marsha Mason as Darcy's mother as well as a surprise appearance by the pop singer, Ashanti! Wow--now THAT'S an interesting combination! Now for Austin purists, this is a mixed bag. While the essence of the novel is definitely there, many, many story elements from the original story are gone--mostly because you must do this to make a film that is only about two hours long! While I missed a lot of the subplots, I understood why they were excised. If you MUST have the definitive version that is closest to the book, try the Colin Firth version from 1995. Still, if you are like me you'll see and love them both.

Overall, a very interesting take on the original. Excellent acting, a fun and vibrant pace and a story that can't help but bring a tear to your eye (hey, it's Jane Austin!) make this an exceptional film. I just can't see why it's overall score on IMDb is so low.

Also, unless you are a total knucklehead, see "I Have Found It". It actually is a tad better but both are wonderful films.

Finally, if you are interested in films of other female directors of Indian descent, try seeing the films of Deepa Mehta (I love her films). "Hollywood/Bollywood" is the most approachable and fun of her films, but "Fire", "Water" and "Earth" are terrific as well. Also, Mira Nair did the wonderful and touching "Monsoon Wedding".