Don't get me wrong, I like the beauty of films too. The 1994 (I think) version of
The Secret Garden is one of my favorite films because it is so beautiful, as well as well acted and the screenplay is faithful to Burnett's book. The sequence where the garden comes back to life is magic. It looks a little like Heaven to me, my conception, anyway. It leaves me longing. Every time I watch it, I get a funny feeling- wistfulness, I think for something so pure and lovely. The Merchant and Ivory films are beautiful, too.
I used to read the complaint "It's a play on film" all the time about certain films, and how certain filmmakers were not so innovative because they focused on the screenplay rather than camera work- like Mankeiwizc.
All About Eve is fantastic, as is
A Letter to Three Wives. I love Kirk Douglas' monologue in that one about the dumbing down of culture (he plays a teacher, of course).
Rope was awesome, but I read where people complained that it wasn't as full of visual innovation and was just a 'play on film'- but the writing is SO good- and the ethical questions brought up in that one make you think.
I love old movies as you can probably tell. Lol. I haven't read any Austen in a long time- but I rewatched S&S thanks to you.
I did like the opening sequence, but the house looked kind of cluttered to me. Lol. I thought it looked like a lot of girls lived there. The façade of the home is stunning. Keira Knightley kind of puts me off, for some reason. There is something about her I don't care much for- maybe it is her pouting look? Which is bizarre because I have a down turned mouth and look like I am pouting in my "resting face". It probably just goes back to the fact that she isn't Ehle.