Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Universal Movie •••½ Picture/Sound •••• Extras •••

Jane Austen has been done to death on film, but that doesn't stop this lush, beautiful adaptation by first-time feature director Joe Wright from feeling as fresh as the early-morning dew on an 18th-century moor. Credit must go to the DVD's sumptuous visuals, as the near-flawless transfer delivers detailed images of the natural-looking, mostly muted colors of the English countryside under gray skies - and the domestic interiors that signify the class distinctions at the story's core. The soundtrack is centered on the dialogue, with occasional subtle effects. Extras aren't very extravagant, dishing out three run-of-the-mill documentary segments (totaling a mere 20 minutes) and a brief HBO First Look featurette that repeats much of the same material. Wright rescues an otherwise humdrum commentary with surprising, casual asides, whether groaning at an inferior CG shot or wistfully remembering his impossibly gorgeous female leads. [PG] English, French, and Spanish, Dolby Digital 5.1; letterboxed (2.35:1) and anamorphic widescreen; dual layer.

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