Bride and Prejudice: Movie & DVD Review (2005)

(Originally published 2005)

Bollywood’s interpretation of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice" is just what you expect--slight, chaotic, fun.

It’s a camp musical, which sends the film far and away from its source book while nevertheless keeping the bones of the plot in place. It's amazing what they've done with it.

Here, Austen's Elizabeth Bennet is played by the stunning Aishwarya Rai, a former Miss World whose Lalita knows a few things about how to smolder. The Darcy character is played by Martin Henderson as a rich hotel hunk from the States with whom Lalita falls in love in spite of her mother's meddling.

The film hails from Indian director Gurinder Chadha, whose "Bend It Like Beckham" was a nice jolt. Here, she channels the same energy that drummed through that film, lifts it a notch, and creates a movie that's pure trash art.

Grade: B