All right, so I can be a sucker for romantic movies. Most of them are complete trash and are so shallow and superficial that you feel fake just watching them, but at the same time, a lot of them are just fun to watch when you're sick or you're cleaning or you have nothing better to do.

Believe me, I am very aware at the quality of most romantic movies compared to...well, all of the other movies that I like. However, there are some that just completely blow me away. That is to say, that some movies placed in the "romance" genre actually contain what romance should...or at least what it used to. There's chivalry, there's grace, there's poise.

Pride and Prejudice starring a stellar cast including Kiera Knightley and Matthew McFayden is one of these movies. In fact, I can say without a doubt that this is my all time favorite romantic movie. The imagery alone in this movie could make it great, the screen shots are fluid and weightless. They are beautiful and warm.

Don't get me wrong, there have been many botched attempts at the poised novels of Jane Austen, but this was nothing close. This movie did her story justice. It was beautiful. The actors were magnificent, the director was outstanding, and the writers kept true to the story.

What I love most about this movie, though, is it's lack of superficiality. Yes, it is set in older times, things were different then, but it seems that all romantic movies (and I wouldn't even limit it to just romantic ones) are about the physical act of sex and the raw informality of it. In this movie you only see the "lovers" kiss once at the end, however all throughout the movie you can see the tension, the desire for one another. But it isn't inappropriate or raunchy, it's sweet and loving because it isn't just about the physical aspects of each other, it's also about who they are, how they are different. In a world where many marriages were arranged and marrying for love was unheard of, these two manage to find it.

Every touch means something, as does every look, every glance. If you break it down in its simplicity it is what every other romance is about, the act of two people coming together, falling in love. And this movie clearly depicts this not only tastefully, but beautifully and fluidly as well.

Fran