Jane Eyre, directed by Cary Fukunaga, is a new adaptation of the classic Charlotte Bronte novel. The stellar cast consisted of Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, The Kids Are All Right), Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds), and never one to miss out on a role in British movie, the incomparable Dame Judy Dench.
Jane Eyre is the story of an orphan who has been an outcast her entire life. Shunned by the aunt who raised her, she is sent to a strict boarding school where the other girls are immediately told to “withhold the hand of friendship” from Jane. After her schooling, she is sent to a large estate to be a governess. The owner of the estate, Edward Rochester, becomes Jane’s love interest but also the source of a great mystery. Those bumps that awake Jane in the night turn out to be Mr. Rochester’s deepest, darkest secret.
Mia Wasikowska was the perfect pick for the quiet, yet strong-willed, and rather plain Jane. Though certainly not the most beautiful actress in Hollywood, it was nice to see a female lead in a British movie not played by Keira Knightley. And Wasikowska certainly proved her place in the movie biz with this believable, intense performance. Michael Fassbender’s brooding, disturbed Mr. Rochester connected with and played off of Wasikowska’s Jane Eyre impeccably.
If you like the Jane Austen movies (like Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility), you will probably love this remake. It’s reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice, but with a rather fantastical element and darker underlying themes. If you’re a stickler for movies sticking to the book, you may be disappointed that the beginning sort of glosses over certain events, obviously due to length (it’s over 2 hours). But the director and screenwriter played up the Gothic theme of the novel, and I think this added a great deal of depth to the film; this is clearly much more than just a love story. It’s a shame that awards season just ended, because Jane Eyre could have nominations and wins written all over it.
Closest movie theater where you can see Jane Eyre: Laemmle Playhouse 7, Pasadena. Coming to Claremont on April 1!