Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Dir: Burr Steers

2016

***

Burr Steers' Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is actually a lot better than I had expected it to be but I'm being very generous with my three star rating. It is a tricky concept to get right. I have to say I always saw Seth Grahame-Smith's as more of a coffee-table book that would raise a titter among visiting friends who would agree it was a cool idea but not something anyone would actually read. I'm sure the process of adding elements of horror and gore into Jane Austen's classic was quite painstaking, credit to him for his literary surgery but the idea always had limited appeal for me, indeed, I liked the cover of the book - a 'zombification' of William Beechey's 1813 painting of Marcia Fox but that was about it. The film adaptation went through quite a few problems before its release in early 2016, with David O. Russell and Craig Gillespie dropping out of directional duties, Mike White, Neil Marshall and Jeffrey Blitz passing the job when offered, leading lady and Producer Natalie Portman walking and ongoing budget concerns that had many wondering whether the film was ever going to be made. I was never going to read the book, so a film version did appeal somewhat. Each person had their own take on how the film should play, when Burr Steers (an odd choice if you ask me) took over as director he is said to have brought it back to the style of the book and reintroduced all the Jane Austen bits, which makes one wonder where on earth the previous scripts would have gone with it? Credit to Burr then, a period zombie film would have been only half an idea and a bit of a con to the expectant audience. The problem is, the Jane Austen element is particularly well handled. It is clear that it was the Pride and Prejudice element that they were most concerned about getting right, but this meant that it is also a below-average zombie film, the zombie element being slightly overlooked. It's also not that funny for such a unique and quirky idea. Much like the book, the initial idea sounds like great fun but the reality is that the concept wears thin very quickly. However, I've given it three stars because it does have a lot I liked about it. It is beautifully directed for a start, with a consistently stunning background and amazing hair and costumes. Sally Phillips steals every scene she's in and is a better Mrs. Bennet than is seen in most of the serious versions. Sam Riley plays Mr Darcy straight throughout the entire film, he could easily have been in a serious version or in the theatre, and it really works. Lily James and Bella Heathcote are both impressive as the two older Bennet sisters and I love everything Lana Headly does, particularly her character here. It does pretty much everything well, it just lacks the required charm it needs to be considered a great movie.