Jane Eyre

I must confess to being a bit of philistine when it comes to reading the classic books by authors such as the Brontë sisters or Jane Austen and shamefully I haven't read any of them. In all honestly I'd rather watch a good film adaptation. . . 

The story opens with a terrified Jane (Mia Wasikowska) making a dash from the confines of Thornfield Manor and on to the desolate moors. She finds sanctuary with Puritan minister St. John Rivers (Jamie Bell) and begins to tell him her ‘tale of woe’ and thus providing the first of the film's of several flashbacks.

With both her parents dead, she was placed in the care of her evil Aunt (Sally Hawkins). This doesn't work out after she has a fight with her cousin and she is packed off to boarding school, where she is punished for her objections to the injustices meted out by the staff who doll out cane lashes like they were going out of fashion.

She eventually finds employment as governess of Thornfield, working underneath Mrs Fairfax (Judi Dench), where she meets Mr Rochester (Michael Fassbender). Needless to say, he is indifferent to her at the beginning and likewise she isn't all that impressed with him. As times goes on, they fall in love with each other.

As I have said before, I haven't read the book, so I am going to review this as a standalone film.

Wasikowska plays the title role with real intelligence and what she doesn't say using her voice, she conveys beautifully through her face and eyes. Fassbender plays Rochester with a broodiness and intensity that is full of mystery. 

My main issue with the film is that it felt like a firework that makes a fair amount of noise and shoots up into the sky with determination, but just quietly fizzles instead of exploding. I kept waiting for some kind of passion to occur, but it never happened. I understand that the original text is rich, vibrant and full of gothic undertones, unfortunately this film was played incredibly flat and understated. Everything from the clothes to the scenery was muted and I felt that the film was missing 'something'. It is supposed to be a love story, but it had the atmosphere of a half-decent horror film.

I did enjoy the film, but I left the cinema feeling a little cheated.

Verdict: Despite superb performances by Wasikowska and Fassbender, the film feels flat and lacking that special 'something'. It's a difficult film to fault, but also a difficult film to get excited about.