plain jane
‘Becoming Jane” follows a lucrative furrow first ploughed by “Shakespeare in Love.” It’s a biopic of a classic author whose own life, the film would have us think, informed their work. This rosy-hued version of Austen’s life portrays in effusive detail those aspects of her youth which were common to all 18th-century heroines, and eschews any attempt to shed light on the causes of her spinsterhood, or her renowned plainness.
TEXT MELISSA KENNEDY feedback
The film’s tagline: “between ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’ was a life worth writing about” could be rephrased: “between sunbonnets and social graces and mantles and manor houses is a flimsily concocted love story.” Originality is dispensed with early on: all the characters seem to have been pinched from “Pride and Prejudice.” We meet the sensible and sympathetic father, the mother given to bouts of hysteria, the awkward younger sister who sings hopelessly out of tune and the dowager aunt who wields the power of the purse. Although the choice of American Anne Hathaway as heroine caused some chagrin, the supporting cast is awash with familiar faces: Maggie Smith, Julie Walters and James McAvoy, who finds gratuitous occasion to flaunt his torso. Not that I’m complaining. As far as plot goes, all the period cinema boxes have been ticked. Expect girls giggling breathlessly as they run over rolling hills and chance encounters deep in the woods with rich suitors wilfully snubbed the night before. At times, character interaction is hindered by some contrived dialogue; Austen’s turn of phrase is, ultimately, inimitable. But, for the most part, the episodes which ape the highlights of other Austen adaptations work well. In short, this safe, cozy picture of period romance is just what mass audiences are hoping for, and receive in full. “Becoming Jane” opens in Moscow on Oct. 4. |
