Jane would beg to differ
Written: Aug 11 '07 (Updated Aug 11 '07)
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: If you love Jane Austen, you want to see anything connected with her.
Cons: Austen fans may resent the freedom that is taken in inventing events.
The Bottom Line: See it if you are a Jane Austen fan or love British period films.
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| artteacher50's Full Review: Becoming Jane |
As a confirmed Jane Austen fan, I waited anxiously for this film to arrive in my city. It was only available at the downtown movie house that shows art films and foreign films. Though it was a disappointment overall, I would not have wanted to miss it.
Anne Hathaway comes across as too physically attractive and not intellectual enough to be a convincing Jane. The moments when she takes notes, writing down snippets of conversation that will later appear as speeches in her books, come across as very contrived. The first half of the film is difficult to follow, even for those who know enough about Austen's life to understand the basic plot.
On the other hand, the film does a good job of conveying the restrictive social conventions of her time and showing how they influenced the satirical depictions in her novels. The second half was better, in terms of holding the viewer's interest, but it was less historically accurate as it progressed.
I am a sucker for a good historical British film and would have appreciated this one for the music, dancing,costumes, and settings, if nothing else. The writers had an impossible task--to write a screenplay that could even approach the brilliance of Austen's own writing--and unfortunately, they were not up to it. In closing, I have to admit that when it is available I will buy it on DVD for my personal collection of Jane Austen-related films.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Die-hard Fans Only
Viewing Method: Studio Screening/Premiere
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Plot
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Epinions.com ID:
artteacher50
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Reviews written: 1
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