Becoming Jane Review

Movie

Becoming Jane

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2009-09-28 21:36:02

Rating

3/5

Provider

CinemaSource

Review

While Becoming Jane captures that certain romantic Jane Austen-esque spirit, it also gives a sobering look at the novelist's life and the constraints of her times.

Story

See Jane dance and flirt. See Jane exchange witty repartee. See Jane fall deeply in love with the wrong boy. But mostly, see Jane become the beloved Victorian romantic author we've come to know. In a "what if" scenario, Becoming Jane combines bits and pieces of the real Austen's life, gathered from letters she wrote to her sister, with a somewhat fictitious account of her life as a 20-year-old, emerging as a writer, thinking way ahead of her time and dreaming of doing what was then nearly unthinkable--marrying for love. The young Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway) meets her match in Londoner Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy). Despite her parents' urgings to marry someone who could assure her future social standing—and Jane's initial disregard for the roguish and decidedly non-aristocratic Tom—the two soon fall head over heels for each other. Their romance bucks all the sense and sensibility of the age, but reality hits hard when it's clear they will risk everything that matters--family, friends and fortune--if they marry. According to Becoming Jane, Jane's love dilemma, and inevitable heartbreak (the real Austen died a spinster), is what inspires her to write her tomes.

Acting

A self-proclaimed Jane Austen enthusiast herself, Hathaway fits right in as the budding author, perfecting the British accent and Victorian look. The actress' own free-spirited nature and spunkiness, seen in her films The Princess Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada, seep right through in Becoming Jane. The girl just can't help herself. Some ardent Austen scholars--who believe the real Austen was much more subdued in her demeanor--may scoff at how Hathaway plays Jane much like the author's most famous heroine, Pride & Prejudice's Elizabeth Bennet, but it works for the movie. Matching Hathaway every step of the way is McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland) as the young suitor Tom Lefroy. His devil-may-care attitude draws Jane in, as the two would-be lovers spar like champs. But once he falls hard for Jane, McAvoy breaks your heart. He, too, would have made a dashing Mr. Darcy. Becoming Jane's supporting players also keep up, especially consummate actors Julie Walters and James Cromwell as Jane's parents. They play the elder Austens with much affection. But despite the fact that they married for love, Walters' Mrs. Austen doesn't want the same life for her daughter. "I don't want you to pick potatoes like me!" she exclaims. Women of that age had little choice.

Direction

With the countless adaptations of her work—including the most recent Pride & Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley—Jane Austen has proven to be gold for movie and television studios alike. A biopic on the author herself was unavoidable. Even though Austen remained unmarried her whole life, many believed she must have experienced some kind of love to be able to write as she did. Becoming Jane's screenwriters Kevin Hood and Sarah Williams therefore use their imagination, incorporating what little was known of Austen's young adulthood and creating an Austenite world with Jane as its romantic star. Much like Finding Neverland, it's great fun recognizing characters and situations that may have inspired Austen's novels. Adding to the mix is British director Julian Jarrold (Kinky Boots), who frames the English countryside with a loving eye and captures the late 18th century/early 19th century period just as well as any Merchant-Ivory film could have. The only thing Becoming Jane lacks is a wonderfully weepy happy ending in which the dashing gentleman strides across a field to proclaim his love for the heroine. But Jane says it herself in the film: Even if she can't have love and fulfillment, by God she'll make sure all of her novels' heroines have theirs.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 stars.

Movie

Becoming Jane

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-03-08 00:00:00

Provider

MyMovies

Review

Hot on the heels of "Miss Potter" comes yet another semi-fictionalised tale of a celebrated British author, though it's not nearly as much fun as you'd expect. Set in 1795, "Becoming Jane" stars Anne Hathaway as aspiring author Jane Austen, whose parents (a largely wasted Julie Walters and James Cromwell) want her to marry for money. However, Jane develops something of a reputation for herself when she rejects the weedy, arrogant nephew of wealthy Lady Gresham (Maggie Smith). Salvation is at hand when she meets dashing, penniless Irishman Tom LeFroy (James McAvoy) but their relationship is doomed to failure because of their social differences.

By rights, this should have been a hugely enjoyable piece of fluff, throwing in tonnes of clever, witty references to Austen's novels and giving free reign to a host of talented character actors. Unfortunately, the script is extremely dull and there's no humour in it at all, except for lines that are directly lifted from Austen herself. It also doesn't help that it's shot in such a dismal style - there's not a single brightly lit scene and the overall effect is like being stuck in the freezing rain for two hours.

Hathaway looks the part and she does her best, but she struggles with the clunky dialogue, despite nailing the accent. McAvoy has better luck and the scene where he seduces Jane at the ball is the only time the movie really comes alive. However, the film's biggest crime is to completely waste its talented supporting cast - why cast the likes of Walters, Cromwell and Smith and then give them next to nothing to do? In short, this could have been either a fascinating biopic or an entertainingly fluffy fictionalisation but instead it falls between two stools, thanks to a boring script and poor direction.

By rights, this should have been a hugely enjoyable piece of fluff, throwing in tonnes of clever, witty references to Austen's novels and giving free reign to a host of talented character actors. Unfortunately, the script is extremely dull and there's no humour in it at all, except for lines that are directly lifted from Austen herself. It also doesn't help that it's shot in such a dismal style - there's not a single brightly lit scene and the overall effect is like being stuck in the freezing rain for two hours.

Hathaway looks the part and she does her best, but she struggles with the clunky dialogue, despite nailing the accent. McAvoy has better luck and the scene where he seduces Jane at the ball is the only time the movie really comes alive. However, the film's biggest crime is to completely waste its talented supporting cast - why cast the likes of Walters, Cromwell and Smith and then give them next to nothing to do? In short, this could have been either a fascinating biopic or an entertainingly fluffy fictionalisation but instead it falls between two stools, thanks to a boring script and poor direction.

Movie

Becoming Jane

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-03-02 16:00:23

Provider

Review

Becoming Jane is a love story inspired by the life of Jane Austen that is certain to be THE costume drama of the year.

In the English society of 1975 marrying for love was a fool's game. But as any fan of Jane Austen's novels (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma) will know, Austen was a woman who saw beyond her world of class and tradition.

Enter Devil Wears Prada star Anne Hathaway as the dreamy 20-year-old with aspirations to make her own way in the world as a writer. When Jane meets dashing young Irishman Tom Lefroy (Last King Of Scotland star James McAvoy) his intellect and arrogance send her head-over-heels in love - despite the fact he has no money. Unfortunately her parents (Julie Walters and James Cromwell) want her to marry wealthy-but-dull landowner Mr Wisley, the heir and nephew of Lady Gresham (Maggie Smith). Poised on the first rung of literary greatness, Jane has to choose between love and duty in the face of a romance that was to shape her life and work.

Hathaway's shy determination and natural beauty compliments McAvoy's aura of dangerous excitement perfectly, and their relationship sizzles with chemistry. Julie Walters is on fantastic form as the weary mum, balancing life on the poverty line with her daughters' happiness, while Cromwell provides plenty of laughs and Maggie Smith plays her usual pinched spinster-aunt-with-a-heart character to perfection.

The rural setting of Jane's home contrasts with Tom's bawdy, metropolitan bachelor life in London, and there's plenty of posh balls, country picnics, stately homes and jolly alehouses to enjoy.

Based a true story (via Austen's private letters) there is an attractive circular quality to the film's plot - the authoress of Pride and Prejudice experiencing her own Elizabeth Bennett/Darcy love affair.

There's little to fault, although it's definitely one for the girls - and don't forget your tissues, because you'll need them!