Written by Guy Andrews
Directed by Dan Zeff
Produced by Guy Andrews, Michele Buck, Damien Timmer and Kate McKerrell
Main Cast-
Amanda Price - Jemima Rooper
Elizabeth Bennett - Gemma Arterton
Mr. Bennett - Hugh Bonneville
Mrs. Bennett - Alex Kingston
Jane Bennett - Morven Christie
Kitty Bennett - Florence Hoath
Mr. Bingley - Tom Mison
Caroline Bingley - Christina Cole
Mr. Darcy - Elliot Cowan
Mr. Wickham - Tom Riley
Lady Catherine - Lindsay Duncan
Review-
Lost in Austen is an example of one of my favorite type of productions - the reinvented classic. In this case, the reinvented classic is Pride and Prejudice, the novel by Jane Austen. I discovered Lost in Austen while perusing the DVD shelves at a local electronics store several years ago, and took a chance by blind buying a copy.
Jemima Rooper, best known as one of the two main leads in the sci-fi series Hex, stars as Amanda Price, a modern-day woman obsessed with Jane Austen and her novel Pride and Prejudice. Amanda is quite surprised to find a secret passage between her bathroom and the attic of the Bennett household from the novel. Amanda meets Elizabeth Bennett, and the two end up switching places with each other.
Now trapped in the world of Pride and Prejudice, Miss Price (as Amanda is known to the inhabitants of the Pride and Prejudice world) proceeds to muck up the story, and she spends a great deal of effort in correcting the mistakes made. Along the way, Miss Price ends up falling for Mr. Darcy, the romantic lead of the novel. Since Lost in Austen is, first and foremost, a romantic comedy (albeit set in Georgian times), all obstacles will be overcome and the two romantic leads will of course end up together.
What sets Lost in Austen apart from most Austen adaptations is the fact that it isn't a straight forward adaptation of the novel. Pride and Prejudice has been done several times, with the Colin Firth and Keira Knightley versions being particular fan favorites. Indeed, there probably isn't really a need for yet another straight forward adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Lost in Austen avoids the trap of being compared, likely unfavorably, with the Firth and Knighley versions by turning the story on its ear, by having a modern day fan of the novel take the place of the heroine.
Indeed, it is Rooper's performance as Miss Price, the modern day woman trapped in Georgian England, that holds the film together. Her reactions to the world of Pride and Prejudice provide the culture clash necessary to get the story off on the wrong foot, and it's her "spunk" as Mr. Wickham calls it that allows Miss Price to correct the mistakes that she's caused. I do think it was quite smart to have Elizabeth disappear for most of the story, as it made it much more believable for Mr. Darcy to fall for Miss Price.
Sadly, I do think the weak point in the entire production is Elliot Cowan, who plays Mr. Darcy. Mr. Cowan isn't exactly terrible in the role, but he certainly won't make anyone forget Colin Firth (the 1995 version) or Matthew Macfayden (the 2005 version with Keira Knightley). Indeed, the more interesting male lead in this film is Tom Riley's Wickham, who pretty much steals every scene that he appears in.
One of the most interesting aspects of Lost in Austen, particularly to people reading this blog, is just how many of the actors in this production have also starred or guest-starred on Doctor Who. Mrs. Bennett is played by Alex Kingston, best known for playing River Song in Doctor Who. In addition to Alex Kingston, a least three other actors from Lost in Austen appear as guest stars in Doctor Who: Hugh Bonneville (Captain Avery - The Curse of the Black Spot), Lindsay Duncan (Adelaide Brooke - The Waters of Mars) and Florence Hoath (Nancy in the The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances two-parter). Hugh Bonneville, of course, is best known for playing the Earl of Grantham on Downton Abbey so there's something here for Downton fans as well.
Lost in Austen also marks a reunion for the two lead actresses from Hex. Jemima, of course, plays Miss Price, but the other lead from Hex, Christina Cole, also appears as Mr. Bingley's sister Caroline. There's even a James Bond connection, as Gemma Arterton appeared in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace.
I should note that the US DVD has the four episodes edited into a single film. While I don't necessarily mind that so much, the US DVD is sadly missing a scene where Miss Price sings the Petula Clark song "Downtown" when asked to perform at a party. The reason this scene has been edited out is due, as usual, to music right clearances (see my review of the Doctor Who episode The Chase for my thoughts on this issue).
Therefore, if you've got the ability to play UK DVD's, you might wish to pick up the unedited UK version, which also features the episodes in their original broadcast format.
Lost in Austen won't be everyone's cup of tea. Jane Austen purists will probably be horrified, and some (mostly men) will be turned off by the romantic comedy aspect. But for those willing to sample something out of their comfort range, I think you'll find that Lost in Austen is quite entertaining and engaging piece of entertainment.
