Product: Becoming Jane [Blu-ray] (2007)
Rating: 3.0
Well-done but not enjoyable
It should first be understood that this movie can hardly be described as "biographical" since the so-called inspiration for Mr. Darcy hardly amounted to more than a passing mention in Jane Austen's life. That's fine though- it's not like we're dealing with a George Washington or Napoleon biopic here; I'm sure Jane Austen would have appreciated the conceit. In any case, as a movie I found it well acted and beautifully filmed. As a story, I've hardly ever seen something so depressing. None of the Merrie England atmosphere of the usual Jane Austen adaptation here; the chilling grimness is palpable. Unfulfilled love, impending destitution, mercenary calculations, rapidly aging people, oppressive social mores, general unhappiness, and the knowledge of Jane's early death combine to make this the downer of the year.