Musical Mondays - Week 25 - Bride & Prejudice

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

I... I think you all can probably tell I am not P&P'd out. Literary Analysis?! From a book more than a hundred years old?! AND FILM DISCUSSION!?! LEMME AT IT!

[tomspanks 9039]

I also think a lot of these flaws I am focused on (and others have pointed out before me) is precisely the miscasting of Darcy. Sorry for beating this dead horse of Caucasian Blandness, but the Darcy characters work in the BBC and Joe Wright versions because Colin Firth and Matthew Macfayden are able to imbue the character with something unseen and enthralling, that Smouldering Under the Surface quality that makes us, as viewers, want to see them again, even if they do infuriate our beloved Elizabeth Bennet. They are able to infuriate us, and by extension, Elizabeth, in a very specific way; we are angered and frustrated by them, but in a way that sticks in our minds. We obsess over every look and gesture because they are so fascinating in their impenetrable pride. What is under that stiff collar? Turns out, it's an adorable sexy puppy dog that wants to kiss us in the rain.

 

But Bride's Darcy? We don't give him a second thought the moment he is off screen. We even dread his re-appearance, which is NOT what you want from a love interest.

 

My litmus test is, did the Darcy in question make me swoon?

[Cam Bert 8145]

I'm sorry Punisher bored me to sleep last night and I missed the majority of the talk. Suffice to say I agree with pretty much everything everyone has said (Darcy blah, first half better, last half rushed, etc.) but one thing about this film that really confused me is why did they go to London? I get that that's where Wickham and Balraj were but they were heading to L.A. They fly in the opposite direction to London, then fly to L.A. which is in on the opposite coast as England. It just seems like a really awkward and weird way of getting there.

 

Which brings me to the one true complaint about the movie, why make Darcy American? Balraj Kiran, and Wickham are British, so why make Darcy American and not British? I understand them wanting to do the thing with Mr. Kohli and how Americanized he's become and turned his back on India and that, but again couldn't this be done with him moving to England? Or conversely why not make Wickham, Balraj and Kiran American? Was there any point to having some of the foreign characters being American and British?

[SaraK 1980]

I'm sorry Punisher bored me to sleep last night and I missed the majority of the talk. Suffice to say I agree with pretty much everything everyone has said (Darcy blah, first half better, last half rushed, etc.) but one thing about this film that really confused me is why did they go to London? I get that that's where Wickham and Balraj were but they were heading to L.A. They fly in the opposite direction to London, then fly to L.A. which is in on the opposite coast as England. It just seems like a really awkward and weird way of getting there.

 

Which brings me to the one true complaint about the movie, why make Darcy American? Balraj Kiran, and Wickham are British, so why make Darcy American and not British? I understand them wanting to do the thing with Mr. Kohli and how Americanized he's become and turned his back on India and that, but again couldn't this be done with him moving to England? Or conversely why not make Wickham, Balraj and Kiran American? Was there any point to having some of the foreign characters being American and British?

 

What's even weirder is the actor that plays Darcy is from New Zealand. He was on Grey's Anatomy recently, and they didn't really bother trying to hide his accent there.

 

I still haven't seen the movie yet, so I don't have much to add

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Which brings me to the one true complaint about the movie, why make Darcy American? Balraj Kiran, and Wickham are British, so why make Darcy American and not British? I understand them wanting to do the thing with Mr. Kohli and how Americanized he's become and turned his back on India and that, but again couldn't this be done with him moving to England? Or conversely why not make Wickham, Balraj and Kiran American? Was there any point to having some of the foreign characters being American and British?

It's also weird because the dude that plays Darcy is a Kiwi so it's not like they had a problem making him change his accent. Like if he was British then the colonialism would have really hammered home because Britain did colonize India. (Although I love the line where he's like "But I'm American" and Lalita says, "Exactly" or something like that lol I was too busy saying "Oh so worse" as she said her line lol.)

 

But I suspect it's seriously just to appeal to American audiences, because we just can't handle a movie without a white American dude in it??

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

It's also weird because the dude that plays Darcy is a Kiwi so it's not like they had a problem making him change his accent. Like if he was British then the colonialism would have really hammered home because Britain did colonize India. (Although I love the line where he's like "But I'm American" and Lalita says, "Exactly" or something like that lol I was too busy saying "Oh so worse" as she said her line lol.)

 

But I suspect it's seriously just to appeal to American audiences, because we just can't handle a movie without a white American dude in it??

I fear it's exactly that. Probably needed in order to secure Miramax's participation maybe? But then they pick a relatively unknown actor! So they shot themselves in the foot anyway because who's going to see it because of Martin Henderson? I think of Shakespeare in Love which was a wild success here and had American actors but doing British accents and participating in the period.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

I fear it's exactly that. Probably needed in order to secure Miramax's participation maybe? But then they pick a relatively unknown actor! So they shot themselves in the foot anyway because who's going to see it because of Martin Henderson? I think of Shakespeare in Love which was a wild success here and had American actors but doing British accents and participating in the period.

Okay according to IMDB before this he was in The Ring, which I totally forgot about, and idk when filming was but they list the ever amazing Torque before B&P although they came out the same year. I wonder if they thought they were going to get a huge upcoming star but then Torque bombed and he's a shitty actor when not across Naomi Watts and being killed by Daveigh Chase lol.

[Cam Bert 8145]

It's also weird because the dude that plays Darcy is a Kiwi so it's not like they had a problem making him change his accent. Like if he was British then the colonialism would have really hammered home because Britain did colonize India. (Although I love the line where he's like "But I'm American" and Lalita says, "Exactly" or something like that lol I was too busy saying "Oh so worse" as she said her line lol.)

 

But I suspect it's seriously just to appeal to American audiences, because we just can't handle a movie without a white American dude in it??

You're probably right. It's probably originally written with him as British considering the writer/director is and then a certain gross producer made her change it to an American to sell easier to an American audience.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I'm Team "Darcy being American was a statement about America." I also don't think it really worked. I agree he should have probably been either Indian or British.

[tomspanks 9039]

I'm sorry Punisher bored me to sleep last night and I missed the majority of the talk. Suffice to say I agree with pretty much everything everyone has said (Darcy blah, first half better, last half rushed, etc.) but one thing about this film that really confused me is why did they go to London? I get that that's where Wickham and Balraj were but they were heading to L.A. They fly in the opposite direction to London, then fly to L.A. which is in on the opposite coast as England. It just seems like a really awkward and weird way of getting there.

 

Which brings me to the one true complaint about the movie, why make Darcy American? Balraj Kiran, and Wickham are British, so why make Darcy American and not British? I understand them wanting to do the thing with Mr. Kohli and how Americanized he's become and turned his back on India and that, but again couldn't this be done with him moving to England? Or conversely why not make Wickham, Balraj and Kiran American? Was there any point to having some of the foreign characters being American and British?

 

They might have made Darcy an American hotel owner (?) so that there was a reason for Lalita to run into him at Kholi's wedding. That's all I've got.

[Cam Bert 8145]

 

They might have made Darcy an American hotel owner (?) so that there was a reason for Lalita to run into him at Kholi's wedding. That's all I've got.

Hoteler I believe is the term.

 

Speaking of which did they say what Balraj's job was? Were him and Darcy best friends from childhood or having rich families did they just know each other and became friends that way?

[tomspanks 9039]

Hoteler I believe is the term.

 

Speaking of which did they say what Balraj's job was? Were him and Darcy best friends from childhood or having rich families did they just know each other and became friends that way?

 

I thought I heard one of the aunties say Balraj was a barrister and that Balraj and Darcy met at Oxford.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Random Q: Why did they change Wickham's name to Johnny? It's not like it was something weird before it was fucking "George" so what gives?

[Cam Bert 8145]

Random Q: Why did they change Wickham's name to Johnny? It's not like it was something weird before it was fucking "George" so what gives?

You're right. I get simplifying Fitzwilliam down to Will, but Wickham makes no sense.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

You're right. I get simplifying Fitzwilliam down to Will, but Wickham makes no sense.

 

I know this one! It's so they could link to the director's previous film, Bend it Like Beckham! Now it's Will Fights With Wickham (or some such nonsense).

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I'm so corrupted by Musical Mondays now. I bought La La Land at Best Buy for $8.99 because I'm sure someone will pick it. I get the Blu-Ray, DVD and a digital copy so I will be READY when someone picks it! (And that someone will NOT be me! I already have my next pick well in hand.)

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I know this one!  It's so they could link to the director's previous film, Bend it Like Beckham!  Now it's Will Fights With Wickham (or some such nonsense).

Actually I have no idea.  I thought everyone calling Darcy "Will" for no good reason was off-putting as well.  It was like a "Remember he's WIll in the original so we'll call him Will even though everyone up to that point called him Darcy."