Rating of
3/4
An Earnest Effort
Franz Patrick - wrote on 04/13/08
I must admit that after watching this movie, I thought that it provided accurate representation of Jane Austen's life. I was so shocked to find out later that pretty much most of it was false. Nonetheless, I did enjoy this picture a lot. It actually made me want to pick up a book or write something about life that will inspire deep thinking. I did buy Anne Hathaway's portrayal as Jane Austen, regardless of the initially distracting British accent, because she plays the role so earnestly; and how can one not love those puppy dog eyes of hers? James McAvoy plays another flawed but charismatic young man (that's all he seems to be playing nowadays) and he did so with such ease. Maggie Smith stole every scene she was in, which is not necessarily a bad thing because the story could use a bit of wickedness and spice. For me, everything pretty much worked out. I tried to pay attention throughout because I've read "Pride and Prejudice" and I was interested on how the elements from that novel would come about in the film. If you are a fan of Jane Austen who does not mind (major) historical inaccuracies and is simply interested in the filmmakers' interpretation of the film, go ahead and see it.
