Film Reviews

Becoming Jane

• Rating:
• Director: Julian Jarrold
• Starring: Anne Hathaway
• Details: UK / 120mins (PG).

Although young Jane Austen (Hathaway) can write, dashing bounder Tom Lefroy (McAvoy) reckons that her scribbling lacks passion, and if she felt unbridled lust (and all that implies) that zeal would find its way onto her pages. Lefroy goes about instilling that passion into the initially reluctant Austen, but complications arise when Lady Gresham's (Maggie Smith) rich nephew asks her to marry him. Does the would-be author marry for money, or for love? Writers Kevin Hood and Sarah Williams do the right thing in approaching Becoming Jane like a long lost Jane Austen novel that never saw the light of day. However, it's obvious that that skill and talent is Austen's alone, as everything in Becoming Jane comes across like a watered-down version of her work. Although it's sweet and nice, and ticks all the boxes you'd expect something based on Jane Austen to do, it still feels a little light. There's wit and charm and repressed sexuality at every turn, and even though the majority of Austen fans will be satisfied by the end result, there's no doubt that the author's input is missing from the picture. Hathaway has spread her wings lately with Brokeback Mountain and The Devil Wears Prada, but instead of becoming Jane Austen, she comes across as Anne Hathaway being Jane Austen (if that makes any sense). McAvoy doesn't suffer the same fate, as his Lefroy is perfect: fun, charming and witty, but still manages to hold onto an untrustworthy, darker side.

Review by Gavin Burke