Sweet nothings
I watched Pride and Prejudice, starring Kiera Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, this week. It was nominated for 4 Academy Awards in 2005, so I figured it was worth a shot. And it was! I loved the score, I loved the cinematography, and I loved the casting.
Kiera Knightley made a wonderful Elizabeth Bennet, and Matthew Macfadyen was a superb Darcy. Both of their performances were great. Macfadyen seemed to understand that, at first, Darcy had to be quite an unlikable character. However, as the movie progresses, the viewer (as well as Lizzie) learns more about him and grows to like him. It seems that, sometimes, actors are afraid to fully embody those unlikable characters unless they know they are playing the villain. But there are plenty of unlikable people in everyday life who are not villains. They are just cold, or boorish, or rude, or whatever. There are LOTS of folks with no bad intentions who are just plain draggy to be with.
I really enjoyed how the movie stayed largely true to the novel we've all known and loved, and how the film became a nice, compact study of the time period in which the characters lived. I haven't seen much else that Joe Wright, the director, has done, but you can bet I'll be keeping an eye on him for the future.
Near the end of the film, Darcy comes walking out of the morning mist, long coattails flapping in the breeze, to tell Lizzie that she has bewitched him, body and soul. Now, why on earth hasn't anyone said that to me lately? Lines like that bring out the romantic is us all. (Especially me!)
Also, I've been to a (sort-of) new restaurant in the Jackson area. Years ago, Cerami's was an Italian favorite among Jackson diners. The restaurant was closed for a time, but now it's back, and with new digs in Brandon on Lakeland Drive. Eaters in the know tell me that many of the fixtures at the old Cerami's can be found in the new restaurant, including the salad cart and the stained glass window that proudly proclaims "Cerami's ~ 1977." My experience at the new restaurant was mixed. I loved the signature salad, featuring the olive salad, bleu cheese, and house vinaigrette. I was less impressed with the fish special, tilapia with a parmesan crust. I found the fish to be a tad underdone in the thickest part of the meat. We had canolis for dessert, and there were very, very sweet. When we received our bill, we found we had been overcharged. (We had been rung up for canneloni instead of canoli.) The mistake was quickly rectified. While I did enjoy my dinner at Cerami's, I think there are better places to find Italian food in Jackson. With competition from hard-hitters such as Amerigo's and Bravo!, Cerami's is going to have to do a little more to get first dibs on my dining dollar. If you're interested in checking it out for yourself, it's located at 5417 Lakeland Drive in Brandon. If need be, you can call ahead for directions (or to check the specials) at 601-919-2829.
Kiera Knightley made a wonderful Elizabeth Bennet, and Matthew Macfadyen was a superb Darcy. Both of their performances were great. Macfadyen seemed to understand that, at first, Darcy had to be quite an unlikable character. However, as the movie progresses, the viewer (as well as Lizzie) learns more about him and grows to like him. It seems that, sometimes, actors are afraid to fully embody those unlikable characters unless they know they are playing the villain. But there are plenty of unlikable people in everyday life who are not villains. They are just cold, or boorish, or rude, or whatever. There are LOTS of folks with no bad intentions who are just plain draggy to be with.
I really enjoyed how the movie stayed largely true to the novel we've all known and loved, and how the film became a nice, compact study of the time period in which the characters lived. I haven't seen much else that Joe Wright, the director, has done, but you can bet I'll be keeping an eye on him for the future.
Near the end of the film, Darcy comes walking out of the morning mist, long coattails flapping in the breeze, to tell Lizzie that she has bewitched him, body and soul. Now, why on earth hasn't anyone said that to me lately? Lines like that bring out the romantic is us all. (Especially me!)
Also, I've been to a (sort-of) new restaurant in the Jackson area. Years ago, Cerami's was an Italian favorite among Jackson diners. The restaurant was closed for a time, but now it's back, and with new digs in Brandon on Lakeland Drive. Eaters in the know tell me that many of the fixtures at the old Cerami's can be found in the new restaurant, including the salad cart and the stained glass window that proudly proclaims "Cerami's ~ 1977." My experience at the new restaurant was mixed. I loved the signature salad, featuring the olive salad, bleu cheese, and house vinaigrette. I was less impressed with the fish special, tilapia with a parmesan crust. I found the fish to be a tad underdone in the thickest part of the meat. We had canolis for dessert, and there were very, very sweet. When we received our bill, we found we had been overcharged. (We had been rung up for canneloni instead of canoli.) The mistake was quickly rectified. While I did enjoy my dinner at Cerami's, I think there are better places to find Italian food in Jackson. With competition from hard-hitters such as Amerigo's and Bravo!, Cerami's is going to have to do a little more to get first dibs on my dining dollar. If you're interested in checking it out for yourself, it's located at 5417 Lakeland Drive in Brandon. If need be, you can call ahead for directions (or to check the specials) at 601-919-2829.
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