Product: Becoming Jane [Blu-ray] (2007)
Rating: 5.0
Sad, sweet and romantic.......
I consider myself a fan of Jane Austen's books first and foremost....the movies that came as a result of her brilliant work are, to me, the icing in an already delicious cake. I'm a tried and true Janeite and when I heard that this film was being made, I met it with as much skepticism as a 'purist' could muster. I was prepared NOT to be amused.Consider my surprise then when I actually found myself enjoying the film. I was hooked in a matter of minutes. I found myself very much affected by the plight of Jane and Tom at the end of the film. I knew my favorite author well and I knew how it would all end, but this film was quite a pleasant surprise. It engrossed and affected me - I felt for Tom and Jane as they went through their joys and their sorrows; and I wanted for things to work out; and I was sad to see it all end.To put it simply, everything about it was done right. I like Anne Hathaway but I had other actresses in mind to play Jane Austen (British actresses Sophia Myles and Romola Garai, among them). I had just seen her in "The Devil Wears Prada" so she was the last person in my mind for the role of Jane at this point. After seeing Anne in the role though, it took me just a few minutes to forget about the actress and think of her as the character. She handled the accent and period dialogue quite well, and she captures Jane's wit, spark and intelligence. James McAvoy is simply perfect as Tom. He enfuses his character with that boyish charm, mischievousness and sensitivity that make him quite irresistible. It was easy to see why Jane would fall for Tom. Everyone else played their roles perfectly - most notably Julie Walters, James Cromwell, Maggie Smith, Anna Maxwell Martin and Laurence Fox. The score and cinematography are simply beautiful and breathtaking. The dialogue is intelligent and the storyline remains faithful to the spirit of its source.To a Janeite like me, "Becoming Jane" is a worthy companion to all the other Jane Austen period adaptations. It is a lovely romantic period drama that goes hand in hand with Colin Firth's "Pride & Prejudice," Emma Thompson's "Sense & Sensibility" or Gwyneth Paltrow's "Emma." And with new versions of "Northanger Abbey," "Persuasion," "Mansfield Park" and "Sense & Sensibility" soon to grace American tv screens, this is a perfect introduction to the brilliant author that remain an enigma and inspiration to many.