Becoming Jane

For what it’s worth...a movie review

My scale: 1 through 10; 1 being Ishtar and 10 being Gone With The Wind

Let’s get it over with...I’m in love with Anne Hathaway...She is delightful to watch and I’m just mesmerized by her face. Now that that’s behind us, I continue....

Becoming Jane is your typical period piece. Not one thing out of the ordinary, well except Anne, in this piece. The late 1700’s is about the same as it was in every other late 1700’s film we’ve ever seen. I wanted it to be more for my Anne, but, alas...it wasn’t.

Anne Hathaway plays Jane Austen perfectly, I guess. Really, how would we know exactly? But I love to watch her do anything. She was what I think Jane would be like. Again, how would we know.... anyway.... James Mc Avoy was cast as love interest Tom Lefroy and was adequate. I wouldn’t have fallen for him, but then Ashley Wilkes wasn’t my cup of tea either. Julie Walters and James Cromwell were delightful as Jane’s Mum and Dad. Maggie Smith was her evil, stuffy, mean, upppercursty self as Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Not much of a fan... Anna Maxwell Martin as Jane’s sad sister Cassandra, I liked. Loved her hair... But I loved Lucy Cohu as Eliza De Feuillide, the sister-in-law. I thought she was just fascinating to watch!

There were many things wrong with this film.... the first half was so boring I wanted to hang myself.... if it weren’t for Anne, someone else would have had to write this review, as I would have done myself in.... It was a little confusing, too tedious, drawn out and just blah.... but I have to say, looking back, it did show what life was probably like in the late 1700’s... if that was the point, well done. It did pick up when Jane and Tom met and began the flirtations. But a love story? Not really.... Not enough story to peek my emotions. I didn’t know the story of Jane and the lack of love life, so I was rooting for a Jane Austen happy ending.... sorry, it didn’t happen....

There were a few real goofs in this piece.... in one scene, I’m sure I saw a bra strap, which Anne was definitely wearing as her bust was too 20th century and not the corset-flat of the period. And in another scene, as she bent over in her nighty, I know I saw she was wearing a thong!!!! And I do believe I saw a crane in the beach scene.... shame on you, Mr. Editor... And one more thing.... the casting for the Austen family.... Everyone in the family was blond, blue eyed and plain looking. Where the heck did Jane come from? Did they have mailmen in those days??? If so.....

All in all, I’m glad I saw Becoming Jane, but it wasn’t very good.... the boring beginning almost didn’t get me through to the end. The love story didn’t have substance, for which anything having to do with Jane Austen is almost a crime, don’t you think?

I’m giving this film a sad little 6...and a 6 only because I love my Anne.... otherwise it would be a grim 4.5..... See it if you must...sorry to all of the English students who are required to visit this film...I hated English......