Jane Eyre

"Essential"

Jane Eyre Review


This umpteenth film adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's enduring classic perfectly captures the experience of reading the book. The story and characters envelop us so beautifully that we get lost in the experience.

After being orphaned as a child, Jane (Clarkson) is sent by her selfish aunt (Hawkins) to a grisly boarding school where she's falsely scorned as a liar.

When she leaves at age 18 (now Wasikowska), she works as a governess for the ward (Moore) of the mercurial Rochester (Fassbender), finding friendship with the housekeeper (Dench) and, surprisingly, romance with Rochester. Alas, this doesn't go well, and when she flees she finds solace with rural parson Rivers (Bell) and his sisters (Grainger and Merchant). Surely she deserves some good news.

The film frames Jane's story with her flight from Rochester's house and rescue by Rivers, then we see her childhood and experiences with Rochester as flashbacks. This helps us understand her emotional state, letting us live through her "tale of woe" without wallowing in it. We understand from the start that the misery heaped on Jane is unfair, and also that she is strong enough to get through it. So we never lose hope that things will somehow turn around, even as her life gets increasingly bleak.

Wasikowska gives a visceral, layered performance that subtly expresses Jane's thoughts and feelings while maintaining the decorum of the 19th century setting. And her interaction with Fassbender is terrific, as we see Jane spark Rochester's interest and watch them soften to each other before his dark secret rips things apart. Meanwhile, Dench and Bell add delicate touches to their characters, giving us further insight into Jane's personality.

Even as he underplays the story's pivotal moment, director Fukunaga creates a film that's sensuous and sometimes terrifying. While Adriano Goldman's lush cinematography and Dario Marianelli's unobtrusive score add to the richness of the experience. Indeed, this film's internalised approach and sumptuous style are reminiscent of Polanski's near-perfect version of Tess. And telling such a familiar story in a way that sweeps us off our feet is no mean feat.



Jane Eyre

Facts and Figures

Genre: Dramas

Run time: 120 mins

In Theaters: Friday 9th September 2011

Box Office USA: $11.2M

Box Office Worldwide: $11M

Distributed by: Focus Features

Production compaines: BBC Films, Ruby Films

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 5 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Fresh: 124 Rotten: 23

IMDB: 7.4 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga

Producer: , Paul Trijbits

Starring: as Jane Eyre, as St. John, as Edward Rochester, as Mrs. Fairfax, Su Elliott as Hannah, as Diana Rivers, as Mary Rivers, Amelia Clarkson as Young Jane, as John Reed, as Mrs. Reed, Lizzie Hopley as Miss Abbot, as Bessie, Freya Wilson as Eliza Reed, Emily Haigh as Georgiana Reed, as Mr. Brocklehurst, Sandy McDade as Miss Scatcherd, Freya Parks as Helen Burns, Edwina Elek as Miss Temple, Ewart James Walters as John, Georgia Bourke as Leah, Sally Reeve as Martha, Romy Settbon Moore as Adèle Varens, Eglantine Rembauville-Nicolle as Sophie, Rosie Cavaliero as Grace Poole, Angela Curran as Undercook, as Blanche Ingram, as Lady Ingram, Joe Van Moyland as Lord Ingram, Hayden Phillips as Colonel Dent, Laura Phillips as Mrs. Dent, as Richard Mason, Ned Dennehy as Dr. Carter, Joseph Kloska as Clergyman Wood, as Briggs, as Bertha Mason

Also starring:

Contactmusic


Links


New Movies

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...

Ferdinand Movie Review

Ferdinand Movie Review

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...

Shot Caller Movie Review

Shot Caller Movie Review

There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...

Advertisement
The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist Movie Review

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...

Stronger Movie Review

Stronger Movie Review

Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...

Only the Brave Movie Review

Only the Brave Movie Review

Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...

Wonder Movie Review

Wonder Movie Review

This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...

Happy End  Movie Review

Happy End Movie Review

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...

Advertisement
Artists
Actors
    Filmmakers
      Artists
      Bands
        Musicians
          Artists
          Celebrities
             
              Artists
              Interviews