Jane Eyre

Reviewing a film adaptation of a literary classic is always a bit odd, especially if the story, as in the case of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, is a tale low on derring-do and description heavy. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga’s film is more than passable, but can’t escape the look and feel of a made for TV production and the big screen, despite a few wide shots of the countryside of the Peak District, doesn’t bring anything more to the party. The film is partly financed by the BBC and there’s auntie’s production values stamped all over this. To wit: 1) The costumes 2) Candlelight 3) Shots of fields, castles etc 4) It stars Judi Dench. It’s all present and correct, I’ll tell thee Sir! For those not in the know, this isn’t the place to get into the whole back story, but this is basically a love story (though mainly told in fleeting glances) between Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) and her employer Mr Rochester (Michael Fassbender). Wasikowska is the better of the two, virtually lifting Eyre from the page and imbuing her with a sense of purpose and feistiness that has us rooting for her all the way through. Fassbender is usually pretty good in most things, but he doesn’t quite cut the mustard here and he never convinces as a cold cad, not helped by prancing around in some (unintentionally) hilarious get-ups. This a problem for Fukunaga as there is zero chemistry between Wasikowska and Fassbender and as the plot pretty much revolves around their feelings for each other it’s a major stumbling block. The film does survive though thanks to Wasikowska’s performance and Fukunaga’s economic direction. It’s amusing to note that Fukunaga would follow up the blistering Sin Nombre with this, but he proves he can cope with this genre as well and his smooth direction doesn’t signpost anything. In fact, if you don’t know the story line at all, you’ll be taken aback by a few revelations at the end. Overall this is one for the target audience only really and enjoyment will be based on what you feel about adaptations of novels in the first place.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict

No trees are pulled up, but this is worth catching for Wasikowska’s performance. Rating: 6/10.