Well, not exactly Mr. Darcy's, but who can resist owning a waistcoat worn by Matthew Macfadyen? He wore it portraying Felix Carbury in The Way We Live Now. In this instance the reserve has not been met!
As any good Jane Austen film fan knows, Matthew MacFadyen starred as Mr. Darcy in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. Andrea Galer designed the waistcoat, which is made of black and gold damask silk and with six antique buttons. The back is corseted and authentic to the period.
Sponsored by the Jane Austen Centre, a variety of film costumes are available on eBay until March 25th. This means you have five days left to open your wallets!Click here to join the fun.
The remake of Anna Karenina, based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy, packs a powerhouse punch. The film stars Keira Knightley as well as Aaron Johnson, Jude Law, Matthew Macfadyen, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Kelly Macdonald, Ruth Wilson, Olivia Williams, and Emily Watson.
Keira Knightley as Anna Karenina
The film is:
The third collaboration of Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley with director Joe Wright, following the award-winning boxoffice successes “Pride & Prejudice” and “Atonement,” is the epic love story “Anna Karenina,” adapted from Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel by Academy Award winner Tom Stoppard (“Shakespeare in Love”).
Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet
View some of the images of the film from Focus Features.
The Cast:
Keira Knightley
Anna Karenina
Aaron Johnson and Keira
Aaron Johnson
Vronsky
Jude Law and Keir
Jude Law
Karenin
Matthew Macfadyen as he looked during the time he
filmed Anna Karenina
I can listen to Matthew MacFadyen (Mr. Darcy, 2005) talking about food all day long. This Marks & Spencer commercial has me salivating - and it isn't just because of the scrumptious food that is displayed. Matthew's voice is irresistible.
Listening to him is a wonderful way to start the holiday season!
Matthew MacFadyen as Mr. Darcy (r) at the breakfast table at Netherfield Park
Tell, me, Matthew MacFadyen fans: is this his voice over for the trailer? Yum.
The film follows a hot-headed young D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman) along with three formerly legendary but now down on their luck Musketeers (Ray Stevenson, Matthew Macfadyen and Luke Evans) must prevent Milady de Winter (Milla Jovovich) and her villainous employer Cardinal Richelieu (Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz) from seizing the French throne and engulfing Europe in war.
The film is scheduled for release October 14, 2011. I am definitely going.
Any Human Heart, the new mini-series that will be shown on Masterpiece Classic for the next three Sundays, features a variety of actors who have starred in Jane Austen film adaptations.
Matthew MacFadyen
as Logan Mountstuart in Any Human Heart
as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice 2005
The man with the deep sexy voice, as I think of Matthew, gave Colin Firth's portrayal of Mr. Darcy a run for his money. Many young fans prefer Matthew's interpretation as the iconic Jane Austen hero. I, for one, like them both. As Logan Mountstuart, Matthew once again delivers a shaded performance. While I could not like his character (who can respect a man who abandons a son for his lover?), Matthew's sensitive portrayal of Mounstuart tugged at my heartstrings.
Haley Atwell
Haley Atwell as Freya Deverell
as Mary Crawford, Mansfield Park 2007
Haley Atwell looks absolutely stunning in 1930's costume. Jane Austen fans will recall her portrayal of Mary Crawford in the unfortunate 2007 version of Mansfield Park. I say unfortunate, for I found that particular film adaptation particularly lacking (especially Billy Piper tomboyish representation of Fanny). I did, however, like Haley, who was perfect for the part of the sophisticated woman that Fanny Price could not like. Unfortunately, Haley's lines were few and far between, largely because the film was too short. Thankfully, she is given a much larger role in Any Human Heart as Matthew MacFadyen's love interest. When those two actors are together, magic happens onscreen.
Jim Broadbent
as an older Logan Mountstuart
as Colin Jones (with Gemma Jones and Renee Zelwegger) in Bridget Jones's Diary
Any Human Heart revolves around the character of the older Logan Mountstuart, played by Jim Broadbent, one of my favorite character actors. Jim's connection to Jane Austen is peripheral. He portrayed Bridget Jones's father and has acted opposite a score of actors who starred in Jane Austen film adaptations. I have always thought that he would make an excellent Mr. Woodhouse or Mr. Bennet, but I doubt we will see another version of Emma or Pride and Prejudice soon. Any film that features Mr. Broadbent is worth watching, and his role, while largely quiet, is extensive and he appears in all the episodes from start to finish.
Charity Wakefield
as Land Forthergill
as Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility, 2008
Charity had the unenviable task of following Kate Winslet in playing Marianne Dashwood, the histrionic sister, in the 2008 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. While she is not classically beautiful, the camera's lens loves Charity's large eyes and dramatic features. She also looks fabulous in a classic 20's bob. Charity appears in only one episode of Any Human Heart, but her character is important in forcing Logan to think more seriously about his writing career and giving him his first major heartbreak.
Tom Hollander
as the Duke of Windsor after his abdication as King Edward VIII
as Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice, 2005
Tom Hollander's role as the Duke of Windsor comes at a propitious time for viewers who have seen (or who intend to see) The King's Speech. In this mini-series he is shown after his abdication as King Edward VIII, and he plays the former king as a petty, self-centered, and self-serving man. While I think he was perfect for the part of David, I had a small problem with his casting as Mr. Collins. Oh, he played that part to a tee and his proposal to Lizzy Bennet was unforgettable, but Jane Austen described Mr. Collins as tall, which Mr. Holland most certainly is not. However, his lack of height added comic relief to his dance scenes with Keira Knightley's Elizabeth, and so I have decided in the future to overlook this casting faux pas.
Samuel West
Samuel West as Peter Scabius
Samuel West as William Elliot in Persuasion 1996
In Any Human Heart Samuel West plays Peter Scabalius, one of Logan's two childhood friends, and a successful author. Jane Austen fans will remember Samuel as William Elliot, Anne's unsuccessful suitor, who was less than a gentleman towards the Elliots and in particular towards Mrs. Smith.
PBS Masterpiece Classic will feature Any Human Heart on February 13, 20 & 27, 2011 at 9pm. Click here for details.
On a different note, I urge anyone who is as addicted to PBS as I am, to contact your representatives and request them not to cut their funding.
Matthew Macfadyen reads "that most extraordinary part" of Pride and Prejudice, which includes subtitles. (from Carte Noir). (Just in case you get lost in your dreams ... "In vain I have struggled!" )
Happy New Year, gentle readers of Jane Austen Today!
This official picture of the new 3-D version of The Three Musketeers shows(from left to right) Matthew Macfadyen (Mr. Darcy 2005) as Athos, Logan Lerman as D’Artagnan, Ray Stevenson as Porthos, and Luke Evans as Aramis. The film will be released in April, 2011. Will it be worth the extra ticket price? We'll see. However, fans of MacFadyen should be glad to see him in another costume drama. The man wears previous centuries so well.
More and more images from the set of The Three Musketeers are becoming available. These two of Matthew Macfadyen and his costars come from Accidental Sexiness, which showcases 8 in total.
Matthew Macfadyen Role: Athos, one of the three musketeers
Other Cast Members:
Porthos: Ray Stevenson
Aramis: Luke Evans
D'Artagnan: Logan Lerman
Cardinal Richelieu: Christoph Waltz
Rochefort: Mads Mikkelsen
Milady de Winter: Milla Jovovich (former lover of Athos and a 17th century "Bond girl")
Duke of Buckingham: Orlando Bloom
Mail Online showcases Kim Cattrall in an article about Private Lives. Directed by National Theatre former boss Richard Eyre, it's the tale of a divorced couple who discover they have adjoining rooms while honeymooning with their new spouses. It's a comedy that crackles with wit and sexual tension - like a rock of ice in a dry martini.
Cattrall, who famously plays Samantha in hit US TV and film franchise Sex And The City, last appeared on the London stage in 2006 when she starred in The Cryptogram at the Donmar Warehouse. She had made her West End debut a year earlier in the Peter Hall-directed Whose Life Is It Anyway? A native of Liverpool who has spent most of her professional acting career on the other side of the Atlantic, Cattrall’s other screen credits include Porky’s, Mannequin, Big Trouble In Little China and the upcoming Roman Polanski thriller The Ghost. - Official London Theatre Guide Macfadyen’s last London outing came in 2007’s The Pain And The Itch at the Royal Court, having previously played Prince Hal in the National Theatre’s production of Henry IV. A regular screen face, Macfadyen played Mr Darcy in the 2005 film adaptation of Pride And Prejudice, opposite Keira Knightley, who is soon to be seen on the London stage in The Misanthrope. Macfadyen’s other credits include hit spy drama Spooks, Dickens adaptation Little Dorrit and the upcoming Ridley Scott-directed film Robin Hood, in which he plays the Sheriff of Nottingham. - Official London Theatre Guide
Private Lives, Vaudeville Theatre, London, from 24 February.
He got slightly miserable having to prance about so gravely in Pride and Prejudice, he reveals. “All the Bennets were having a great time; it was all very cosy. Then I’d come along and be a bit sullen for a couple of days and then f--- off again! It didn’t help that my wife was pregnant at the time, but I wished I’d enjoyed it more.”
Kim Cattrall, who was born in Widnes, England, will appear opposite Matthew MacFadyen next year in Private Lives, a Noel Coward play. The plot revolves around two divorced people who meet again while honeymooning with their new spouses. The play is scheduled to run from March 3, 2010 in the Vaudeville Theatre in London's West End.
Kim is best known for her role as Samantha Jones in Sex in the City. Matthew MacFadyen, as every Janeite knows, played Mr. Darcy opposite Keira Knightley in 2005's Pride and Prejudice.
Speaking of Keira, rumor has it that she is considering playing the role of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. Groans can be heard around the earth, but Keira has managed to draw large audiences to her films. Here's an image of Keira and Audrey Hepburn morphed.
Want to have fun? You can morph your own images at Morph Thing.
Jane Austen Films: If you've wondered which Jane Austen movie adaptations you've seen and missed, here's a nice synopsis of recent films compiled by The Telegraph.
Little Dorrit: These candid images of Claire Foy and Matthew MacFadyen taken on the set of Little Dorrit are posted on her fan site.
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters has been published and is garnering such erudite comments as "it's a hoot." This review from theJournal Star sums the book up nicely. Ben H. Winters, the book's author, wrote "This Scene Could Really Use a Man-eating Jelly Fish: How I wrote Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters" for Slate.com. Look for our reviews of this Oceanic adaptation of Jane's beloved work to come out soon.
Jane Can Take It: The Guardian Theatre blog comes up with this conclusion in a piece entitled: "Pornography and prejudice: Jane Austen's dirty talk is a sweet affair": "As Jonathan Jones wrote last week, classic literature can take whatever we throw at it. He was referring to Oscar Wilde's work, but the same goes for Jane Austen, who has had more thrown at her than most. She may never have envisaged a starring role in a play alongside a pair of snogging naked men, but I can't help thinking that she would have had a good chuckle about it all: the good humour, wit and wisdom of her books suggest that she wouldn't have taken any of this too seriously."
Do you recall this passage from Pride and Prejudice, when Elizabeth visits Pemberley with her aunt and uncle? Mrs. Reynolds, the housekeeper, describes her master in a way that is totally counter to Elizabeth's first perception of him. She has since received his proposal, rejected it, and then read his letter, and her feelings towards him are softening, though still mixed. In this scene, she encounters Mr. Darcy's portrait hanging on the wall:
The picture gallery and two or three of the principal bedrooms were all that remained to be shown. In the former were many good paintings, but Elizabeth knew nothing of the art, and from such as had been already visible below, she had willingly turned to look at some drawings of Miss Darcy's in crayons, whose subjects were usually more interesting and also more intelligible. In the gallery there were many family portraits, but they could have little to fix the attention of a stranger. Elizabeth walked on in quest of the only face whose features would be known to her. At last it arrested her and she beheld a striking resemblance of Mr Darcy with such a smile over the face as she remembered to have sometimes seen when he looked at her. She stood several minutes before the picture in earnest contemplation and returned to it again before they quitted the gallery. Mrs Reynolds informed them that it had been taken in his father's lifetime. There was certainly at this moment in Elizabeth's mind a more gentle sensation towards the original than she had ever felt in the height of their acquaintance.
This week we ask you to decide, which image of Mr. Darcy do you think is best? (Please note: the wording has been changed to clarify the question.) The portrait in Pride and Prejudice 1995? Or the bust in the statue gallery in Pride and Prejudice 2005? Below we show both the work of art and Lizzy's reaction to the work.
Best Art Work of Mr. Darcy
Colin Firth Mr. Darcy,Pride and Prejudice 1995, Portrait in oil
Matthew MacFadyen Mr. Darcy,Pride and Prejudice 2005, Sculpture bust
The Jane Austen Character Throwdown will take on a more peripheral role as we explore Jane Austen movie and television adaptations. Lately, our character questions have been heading in that direction. Last week's character throwdown showed Mr. Knightley winning over Mr. Wickham by a margin of 2:1. It is interesting to note that the voting trend settles early on in the week and doesn't change. We'll see if this pattern remains the same for the movie throwdowns.
Three years ago we asked this question about Mr. Darcy and the votes went viral, putting our blog on the Austen map. It doesn't hurt to start our movie throwdown with the same question again, since our readership has evolved and changed. Drum Roll please: which Mr. Darcy do you prefer? We now have so many actors to choose from that, for the sake of brevity, we shall limit the choice to the last three Darcys.
Favorite Mr. Darcy
Elliot Cowan, Lost in Austen, 2008
Our latest Mr. Darcy, Elliot played the role of straight man in Lost in Austen. His surprisingly effective turn as Mr. Darcy helped to make this t.v. adaptation a huge success the world over, and I doubt he belongs to the League of Obscure British Actors any longer. He has signed on to play Captain Hatch in Heaven and Earth along with Pierce Brosnan and Natascha McEllhone. We can't wait.
Matthew Macfadyen, Pride and Prejudice, 2005
Who can forget his rain scene proposal to Lizzy? Though it was placed in the wrong setting and the day was cold and rainy, he managed to smolder and sizzle. Matthew's career is hot as well. He recently appeared in Little Dorrit, and will appear in the BBC production of Enid Blyton and as the Sherrif of Nottingham in Robin Hood. Oh, how delicious.
Colin Firth,Pride and Prejudice, 1995
With Colin you can take your pick. He's played Darcy in Pride and Prejudice and the Bridget Jones's Diary franchise, oozing British wit and charm. His career has not slowed down since playing Darcy and we will have six opportunities to see him in future productions: A Single Man, Main Street, A Christmas Carol, Dorian Gray, The Meat Trade, and David Copperfield. Be still my beating heart.
DEAR VISITORS: What an exciting three days it has been. We've changed the poll to allow only one vote per visit.
Matthew fans: Hear me out before you storm my house and tear my door down. I adore Matthew Macfadyen and think his voice is beyond sexy. When a friend asked me which Mr. Darcy I preferred, I said that I could not choose between Colin Firth and Matthew. Both are eye candy and both made my heart pitter patter. These two images attest to the power of photoshop. With or without manipulation, Matthew is handsome, no doubt about it. So why was he turned into an ultra smoothie? Inquiring minds want to know. Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World
As any good Jane Austen film fan knows, Matthew MacFadyen starred as Mr. Darcy in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. Andrea Galer designed the waistcoat, which is made of black and gold damask silk and with six antique buttons. The back is corseted and authentic to the period.
