Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Judi Dench, Sally Hawkins and Amelia Clarkson
Directed by: Cary Fukunaga
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some thematic elements including a nude image and brief violent content.
Genre: Drama, Romance and Adaptation
Running Time: 2hrs
Distributed by: Focus Features
By John Delia
Captivating and as the British would say utterly romantic, the movie version of the Charlotte Bronte novel Jane Eyre moves into theaters this weekend. I enjoyed the acting, the amazing landscapes and period costumes. If you like the book, enjoy period piece films, dream about those who live in huge estates, then wake up and go see Jane Eyre.
At the center of the plot is a young Jane Eyre (Amelia Clarkson) who finds herself living with her aunt after her parents die. At odds with her male cousin, her aunt feels that Jane should be put in a private school. Fast-forward to the 17 years of age Jane (Mia Wasikowska) who escapes the confines of her dull life and finds her way to the home of the wealthy Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender) where she takes on the job of governess. When a romance starts between Jane and Edward, her life starts to change in a direction she did not anticipate.
Even though the age differences between Jane and Edward are distances apart, the actors are able to show the fire that burns between them. You can see the change on Wasikowska’s innocent face when she realizes that Edward can be hers. The chemistry between the two burns a hole in the screen.
The costuming and sets are a major part of the story and here no expense has been spared to provide the look and flavor of the early English period. The camera captures every bit of the countryside, the worn English manor and the clothes that are as important to the entertainment as the actors. The camera lens even instills a cold damp feeling during Jane’s trek through an unforgiving forest during a horrendous rainstorm. Jane Eyre is a feeling and director Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre) provides the complete experience from script to actor to the big screen.
Jane Eyre has been produced some seventeen times on television and film starting as far back as 1914 according to the International Movie Data Base. But with today’s technology, special cameras and creative sets, I found this Jane Eyre to be the amazingly good.
The film is rated PG-13 for some thematic elements including a nude image in a painting and brief violent content.