Austen gets a glitzy revival
Alison Dayani, Evening Mail
Sexy Colin Firth striding out of a pond, his wet shirt smeared to his toned body like a second skin... It did wonders for the revival of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
And after seeing new lavish musical Bride and Prejudice, I'm sure it will do the same.
This modern day reworking of the classic, which re-routes via India and LA with added Bollywood-spice, is hilarious fun.
Like its leading lady Lalita, former Miss World Aishwarya Rai, the film has beauty, brains and an added dose of glamour.
Director Gurinder Chadha has moved on from Bend It Like Beckham by mixing the Bollywood ethos of an alldancing, all-singing spectacular into a mainstream comedy that is well and truly tongue-in-cheek.
Far from chastising the Indian film style, it embraces it, in a similar fashion to BBC's Goodness Gracious Me, with extras appearing from nowhere for songs, characters running through fountains for love scenes and that generally fuzzy, happy feeling.
The arranged marriage system of centuries old Britain transposes well around the pushy Indian mother trying to marry off her stunning daughters.
Instead of tea dances, there is a beach rave - featuring R'n'B singer Ashanti - while instead of Darcy's stately home, he is a hotel chain heir from Los Angeles, and it all works wonderfully well.
Girls will be delighted to know this 'Will Darcy', played by American hunk Martin Henderson, gives Colin Firth a run for his money.
But the sweaty wet T-shirt look is this time left to equally rugged Daniel Gillies, as dastardly Wickham, running out of the waves in Goa.
And there are other love suitors and rivals to add some unique side-splitting moments.
Those who know Pride and Prejudice will enjoy the way the story is reinvented, while those who don't, will enjoy it for what it is - a comic tale of good old fashioned love and romance.
Bride and Prejudice will be released on Friday, October 8th.
