Contemporary feel of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ falls short

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen has always been the ultimate in “chick lit” and the ultimate chick flick, a witty exercise on love, manners and class set in late 18th century England.

There have been memorable versions on the big and small screen, most notably the 1995 BBC miniseries that made Colin Firth a star.

Now comes a lush new version that focuses more on the romantic aspects of the love story between the spirited Elizabeth “Lizzie” Bennet (Keira Knightley) and the aloof Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen) and which seems determined to make even the most hard-hearted viewer swoon.

There are five Bennet sisters, and their scatty mother (the great Brenda Blethyn) is embarrassingly determined to get them all rich husbands. This seems highly likely when the eldest daughter, lovely but shy Jane, catches the eye of new neighbor Mr. Bingley. Bingley’s best friend Darcy appears haughty to the point of rudeness, and when Lizzie hears him describe her as only “tolerable enough,” she makes it her mission to take him down a notch.

For me, the most enjoyable aspect of “Pride and Prejudice” has always been the witty verbal swordplay and thinly veiled mockeries in Austen’s writings. “Pride and Prejudice” 2005 focuses more on visuals, uses less of the book’s dialogue, and has a more contemporary feel.

Under the direction of Joe Wright, Lizzie now seems more petulant and less sophisticated than in previous versions, and Darcy’s aloof manner, rather than prideful, is now just a cover for shyness. He doesn’t smolder, he stammers. Together they are only slightly more articulate than teenagers on a first date.

To be sure, there is lots of swirling photography, a romantic score and numerous close-ups of Knightley’s lovely face. The last scene, while not in the book, provides a genuinely tender moment and made the teenage girls sitting next to me giggle with delight.

Me? Call me prejudiced, but I’ll take Colin over Matthew any day.

* SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a financial services company.

Theron is terrific in futuristic adventure

Charlize Theron travels 400 years into the future to step back into her supermodel shoes. She dons latex and lingerie to play the stunning and nearly bionic secret agent “Aeon Flux” in the sci-fi thriller of the same name.

She uses all of her considerable skills to seek revenge against the Big Brother government that stifles all dissent and kills any citizen who does not toe its line.

The citizens are survivors of a plague that killed 99% of humanity. They live in a fortress city controlled by the family of the doctor who developed the cure for the plague.

Centuries without challenge to the government’s authority resulted in a total dictatorship.

Aeon is a major player in the underground resistance that opposes this repressive regime. Her successful missions expose the secrets that maintain the status quo and put her life in grave danger. Theron and co-star Marton Csokas are outstanding as the star-crossed lovers at the center of the story.

State-of-the-art special effects give life to the futuristic setting. Great cinematography, sharp editing and spooky music create the right atmosphere.

There’s lots of MTV style and video game technique that would appeal to a younger male audience. But if you like this adult comic book genre, you will appreciate the glitzy production values and rapid pace of this action-adventure tale.

* JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office.