Reviews of Becoming Jane

Not quite perfect

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 19 August 2008 12:16 (A review of Becoming Jane)

I watched this hot on the heels of watching the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice. I have to say, it rather paled in comparison to that, and to Shakespeare in Love, from which it stole the story's basic premise. It is a premise I wouldn't mind seeing more, so long as it was done well. And this one is fairly well done. Just not quite as good as Shakespeare.

My major issue with the movie was that it didn't dare enough. It was too obviously based on Pride and Sense. I would have preferred to see them making a larger leap than they did.

The one bit I was especially appreciative of was the young man who is courting her as she falls in love with Tom. He seems obviously to be the one based on (or who was the inspiration for? I'm not sure if he's based on a real character.) Colonel Brandon, with his understanding of what exactly passed between Jane and Tom when they nearly eloped.

James McAvoy was lovely, and I think he did a lovely job with what he was given, though it felt a bit frustrating his character was so boxed in. I would have liked to have seen him dare more.

I'm not a huge Anne Hathaway fan. I don't dislike her, I just don't search out her movies. To be honest? I would have preferred to see an English actress in this. There are plenty, after all, and I think it would have lended a touch more creedence to this story.

Overall, a good movie. I might even buy it. But I don't think it will ever be in my top favorites.

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Not For Everyone

Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 27 August 2007 02:01 (A review of Becoming Jane)

Based on the possible romance between Jane Austen and Thomas Lefroy, it is the story of two young people who have preconceived ideas of each other and their difficult positions in society. It was an interesting movie, and I appreciated the fact that it was a very intelligent movie. Some of the language and phrasing was unfamiliar to me...unlike the recent versions of her books made into movies where everything was brought up to todays language. And that there were many occasions where the usual movie would have gone one way (for dramatic effect or for a laugh) and this movie didn't go that way. I also thought the costuming and sets were nicely done and probably more accurate than most current period pieces. They frequently looked a little scruffy, and a little less washed than is todays standard. The exception being Ms. Hathaway who always looked much too startlingly beautiful and clean for those around her. I personally had problems with the accents, or the lack thereof. They had the lightest of English accents, to the point of no accent. And I had never seen McAvoy's character was supposed to be Irish, but had no accent, accept when his own true Scottish accent slipped out on occasion (and I'd never seen him before, so I didn't know he was Scottish). All in all I enjoyed it, but couldn't recommend it to the general public, only to people who seriously like period pieces.

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