The cast of Bennet sisters are young and credible, their group scenes are filmed with hip Altmanesque overlapping dialogue, while the director Joe Wright’s roaming camera gives every exchange an unexpected urgency.

"Wright’s filmmaking is elegant, vibrant and prudently ostentatious."

Joe Wright should be applauded for delivering a vividly realised Austen adap -- one which confirms Knightley has graduated from the Jackie Bisset of the '00s to this decade's Julie Christie.

In a modern framework, feminist works of the past can still have an impact on newer audiences. Pride & Prejudice allows the timeless tale to gain new life without sacrificing any of its narrative importance.