Hi everyone!
Today I am here with a review of the film "Becoming Jane", that I recently have seen. For those who do not know, I am a huge fan of Jane Austen, and that is what this film is about.
Title: Becoming Jane (2007)
Genre: Drama, Romantic, Biographic, Historic.
Country: United Kingdom.
Director: Julian Jarrold (Great Expectations TV film)
Screenwriters: Kevin Hood (Man and Boy), Sarah Williams (Poppy Shakespeare) and Jane Austen (her own letters).
Cast: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Julie Walters, James Cromwell, Maggie Smith.
Music: Adrian Johnston.
Awards:
- Won the Truly Moving Sound Awards (Heartland Film Festival, 2007).
- Won the People's Choice Awards 2008 (USA) for Favorite Independent Movie.
Here is the trailer:
Synopsis:
"The year is 1795 and young Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway) is a feisty 20-year-old emerging writer who already sees a world beyond class and commerce, beyond pride and prejudice, and dreams of doing what was then nearly unthinkable--marrying for love, without any regard for financial well-being.
Naturally, her parents (Julie Walters, James Cromwell) are searching for a wealthy, well-appointed husband to assure their daughter's future social standing. They are eyeing Mr. Wisley (Laurence Fox), nephew to the very formidable, not to mention the very rich, local aristocrat Lady Gresham (Maggie Smith), as a prospective match. But when Jane meets the roguish and decidedly non-aristocratic Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy), sparks soon fly along with the sharp repartee. His intellect and arrogance raise her ire--then knock her head over heels." (Source: FilmAffinity).
I love the plot. Really. And the great film. It has this usual charm of all Austen's world, including the real world and her writings. Despite the fact that it reminds me of Pride and Prejudice, it is a biography of Jane Austen's youth, her relationship with Tom Lefroy and her evolving as a writer.
At first we are introduced to Jane and the rest of her family. Here I was a bit lost because they do not introduce them very clearly. I ended only knowing who are Cassandra and Henry Austen, and Jane is supposed to have seven siblings. However, the truth is that maybe the rest in this period of time in Austen's life are not so important.
[About Anne Hathaway playing Jane, I am not sure if it was a good idea because her face is very known in Hollywood and I think I didn't imagine Jane as Hathaway. Nevertheless, she has done a truthful work about the manners and personality of Jane and I have to congratulate her. She even had to fake her accent to become British one.]
Not very much afterwards, we meet Tom Lefroy. He is not perfect, he is human. He is arrogant, selfish and young, but poor and occasionally idealistic. While the film goes on, we witness how the character grows and evolves, I'd say thanks to Jane. This time I am completely agree with the cast choice. James McAvoy enlivens a fantastic Tom Lefroy for who everybody will fall.
This is a film about love, but also about society and the limits of social condition, between others, like all Jane Austen's novels. We have marriages for money, the debate of marrying for love, the role of the family, the pride, the real world, the social conditions and the social life. Also, a Jane like the writer she was, which is essential to show in this story.
However, it is important to say that the romance showed in the film is fictional or "a legend", despite being a biographical production, because in real life we do not have proves they had a romantic relationship, but an intimate one indeed; they are assumptions from Austen's letters.
Last but not least, I would say the staging is very good, they filmed on location in Britain and Ireland. A good script (I don't mind very much that faults I have commented before, because I have enjoyed a lot the film), delicious scenes and above all, the amazing clothing or atrezzo and a better performance of the actors with all great characters. Actually, the clothing of the actors now are in the "Jane Austen's House Museum" in Southampton, where the writer lived her last years.
I give it a 8,5/10!
I hope you enjoyed the review, please comment below you opinions.
Best wishes,
Cat.
