Anna Maxwell Martin, although seems like a good actor, does not fit the aesthetics of Elizabeth. She looks so much older than Darcy despite the actress being 4 years younger. The lack of makeup combined with her puffy eyes makes her look very tired. Her attitude is also very matronly in this adaptation and she has lost all characteristic Lizzie wit and charm. The pedestrian costumes do not help her portrayal either. So disappointed!
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I agree with you and the majority. Elizabeth is a very pretty and striking person or so she is described in pride and prejudice. She caught the eye of mr darcy in the first place and that and her charm and charisma endeared her to him so to have a tired, plain looking actress (she is nice in her own way of course but not in an elizabeth bennet way) play her is very distracting.
shareJust finished watching DCTP after having it on my planner for weeks. Am disappointed that my viewing was distracted by my astonishment at the casting of AMM as Lizzie, visually an utter drudge.
shareHer looks were very distracting I remember that actress from N&S. I kept replacing her face with that of Jennifer Ehle and I think I would have enjoyed the series so much more if they'd cast someone prettier. That's not the Lizzy I imagined.
She was too ugly and Lydia was too pretty. It just didn't work for me.
Granted the actress who played Lizzy was VERY good in acting so she grew on me.
Still I feel she was a total miscast.
Would have preferred someone like the actress from North and South or Emma.
I can't imagine they hadn't other actresses who applied to the role who were both beautiful and great actors also.
with all of that talent around, Why cast Anna Maxwell Martin. She does not have the sparkle and beautiful eyes of Elizabeth Bennett.
shareYeah, she's not attractive at all, and she had no joy or playfullness in the role. Even in the flash-backs, she came off as far too serious. Darcy was also underwhelming. How disappointing.
shareYes, the casting of Elizabeth and Darcy is a let down. No sparkle in Elizabeth. No charisma in Darcy.
shareI really loved Ms. Maxwell Martin as Elizabeth Darcy.
I think she showed us the intelligence, wit, charm, and kindness that characterize Lizzy in the most perfect way possible. I especially liked her laugh after the lovely interaction with Mr. Darcy on the corridor at the beginning of the episode one.
In my personal opinion, she is the best Lizzy to date. [I hated the slyness I felt from JE's version Lizzy (and she did not look like in her early 20s at all) and superficially and lack of wit in KK's version.]
akoko
There's a reason why she usually plays the dying-of-consumption spinster type. Really poor casting choice
shareYes, I am also disappointed in the casting of Elizabeth. I do like the character that Anna Maxwell Martin and the writers have created, but it is not Jane Austen's Elizabeth Bennet. Or her Elizabeth Darcy. What could have happened to ELizabeth in the six years since her marriage to make her look so faded and dull? I like the beautiful production and in fact, when I forget that this is supposed to be Elizabeth and Darcy, it is an enjoyable story. Georgiana is lovely, Wickham appropriately attractive and irresponsible, Darcy more volatile than I would imagine, but deliciously handsome and sexy. And I thought that Lydia channeled Mrs Bennet with charming effect.But Colonel Fitzwilliam is my second great disappointment. No way he could turn into such a disagreeable, impolite fellow. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing the other two episodes, of course! Almost any glimpse of Pemberly is better than nothing.
I think this commentary is unfair to Anna MM who can be as sparkling and lovely as she is in real life. The fault is in the book, direction, and script. If you have read the book, you know that PD James' Lizzy is not Austen's. This is quite a surprise as James is a Janeite.
shareI tried to read the book and found that it was just awful. It wasn't anything like Austen's characters. I felt like she was just trying to capitalize on all-thing-Austen. I was hoping that they made this a bit better.
shareI had a negative reaction to the book too, but watched part 1 of this, and just gave up on it as a Jane Austen tale, and watched it as a pleasant period-piece mystery. I think the story is good, and as I didnt see it as Jane Austen, but just a beautifully filmed little mystery, I actually found myself enjoying it.
Why PD JAmes had to insert Jane Austen characters into what I thought could have been a good book, is beyond me.
Pix
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to criticize Anna MM. I too am a great admirer of both her looks and her work, and agree with you that the fault lies in the direction and the script. I did not read the book--I'm sorry to say that this is one time I let negative reviews put me off. I love both Austen and James so much that I was too squeamish to see for myself. This is probably why I don't understand your comment that PD James' Lizzy is not Austen's. Sounds interesting and I'd appreciate someone cluing me in on that.
shareI had no problem with the actress - it was her overall look. Was that the only color of satin available in the vicinity? Why did her maid not dress her hair? And so on.
🐈 Rachel