Review of Jane Eyre (2011) by Jc E — 12 Oct 2011

This was one of those films that I wasn't terribly excited to see due to its numerous interpretations, but considering the actors involved, I thought I'd give it a chance. I'd never seen a full cinematic telling of Charlotte Bronte's novel, nor have I read said source, but I'll go out on a limb here and say that this is one of the better representations of Bronte's character.

Mia Wasikowski (The Kids Are All Right) is brilliant in the title role and gives the weighty material a beautiful grace and fragility. Michael Fassbender (Hunger) is ominous, but perfectly balanced in his supporting role.

Additionally, both Judi Dench (Nine) and Jamie Bell (The Eagle) give credence to their smaller roles. The film is artsy, but not pretentious; simple, but not shoddy. The score by composer Dario Marianelli (Agora) is spot-on and elegant to boot, while the cinematography by Adriano Goldman (Conviction) matches up-and-coming director Cary Fukunaga's vision.

I wouldn't' be surprised to see this film mentioned come awards season, particularly for Wasikowski and Fassbender's performances, as well as for Marianelli's score and possibly Goldman and Fukunaga's work.

It's what you might call a dark romance, but it is a delight. It certainly doesn't fall into my typical genre admirations, but it was a nice outside-the-box occurrence.