Jane Eyre (Fukunaga, 2011)

[Kurosawa Fan]

For some reason, this opened at my local theater today, so instead of seeing Bridesmaids this weekend, my wife is getting ready right now and we're going to an 11 o'clock showing. Like I said, my wife has been fairly excited for this.

[number8]

I hear the movie looks great, and that they didn't use any lighting at all for the night scenes. It's all lit by the in-camera candles, nothing simulated. That's fucking impressive.

[Lazlo]

I hear the movie looks great, and that they didn't use any lighting at all for the night scenes. It's all lit by the in-camera candles, nothing simulated. That's fucking impressive.

Yeah it really is a beautiful movie. Hopefully it'll get some awards attention at the end of the year.

[[ETM]]

I've just seen it. It's stunningly beautiful on BluRay. You can take pretty much any frame and put it up on your wall as art. Lighting was sublime.

I also went in without any knowledge of the plot (although I recognized the "twist" from seeing some of a previous adaptation at some point) and I felt the story wasn't hampered by short-cuts in any meaningful way. From speaking with my g/f (who's a huge fan and loves the BBC miniseries), I gather that St. John and his sisters are "hit" the most, as well as Jane's time at the school as a child, but we both feel that this was an excellent condensation with just all the right ingredients. I know Bosco, for example, feels differently, but I think there's sufficient material between the lines to justify all the beats in the leads' relationship. I also agree with Mara about Wasikowska's physical acting - there's pages upon pages of inner monologue in that wonderful neck of hers. Fassbender let quite a bit of an accent through in some scenes, but other than that he was refreshingly human in the role. And one more thing - I'm now REALLY glad Tamzin Merchant didn't end up playing Daenerys in "Game of Thrones". She's scary, and... all face.

[Bosco B Thug]

I know Bosco, for example, feels differently, but I think there's sufficient material between the lines to justify all the beats in the leads' relationship.

I do. I really, really do. :sad: Not disagree with you about the screenplay, but really dislike this movie.

It's personality-less and insight-less. I'd have guessed everyone who wasn't familiar with the story or characters would have been bored to death.

[[ETM]]

I've been thinking about the film a lot since. One of the things that struck me during the viewing, that I didn't mention before, was how the direction deliberately sidelines virtually all of the characters besides Jane, Rochester, Mrs. Fairfax and St. John. There's also Adele and the sisters, but they're always there through Jane's POV, even though the camera is in third person view. You literally don't remember the faces of anyone else, including Miss Ingram, because they're only there to support the main relationships and turn the cogs of plot. I found it fascinating, and something not easily achieved through such means. I'm liking Fukunaga's subtle work more and more the more I dwell on it.

[Spinal]

I'd have guessed everyone who wasn't familiar with the story or characters would have been bored to death.

Far from it. I had never read the book, never seen an adaptation, but I found their relationship to be fascinating. Loved Wasikowska in this, particularly the proposal scene.

[Robby P]

Yes, I thought this was excellent. Among the contenders for my favorite movie of the year. Wasikowska and Fassbender both deserve more awards consideration for their performances.

[Peng]

Finished the book earlier this month, and this threatens every so often to be a faithful Cliff Note version of it, including retaining the dialogue on the leads' appearance even though both are too movie-pretty for it, particularly Fassbender (like keeping his "Do you think me handsome?" and her negative answer). Some shrewd choices though, especially the non-chronological one of opening with a sequence more than halfway through the book, to establish the source's vibe right away. Plus Fukunaga directs this with the right kind of darkly dreamy atmosphere, and the two leads are great (with Wasikowska's physicality conveying the character's essence and capturing pages of inner monologue wonderfully) and have terrific chemistry together. 7.5/10