Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre, directed by Cary Fukunaga, stars Mia Wasikowska as the title character and Michael Fassbender as the brooding love interest Mr. Rochester. The film, like the Bronte's novel, follows the life of orphaned Jane Eyre. Jane's childhood is initially spent in the custody of her aunt Mrs. Reed, who dislikes Jane and turns a blind eye to her son's abuse of young Jane. Jane is soon sent away to a school, where corporal punishment seems to reign supreme and any affection is forced to take a back seat. As a young adult Jane finds employment at the Thornfield as governess to the mysterious Mr. Rochester's ward Adele. Soon Jane finds herself embroiled in strange goings on at Thornfield, while trying to resist the charms and advances of Mr. Rochester.

Fukunaga creates the right alchemy of elements to successfully bring Ms. Bronte's novel to the screen for the umpteenth time in a version that feels neither hackneyed or overly mellow dramatic. In Fukunaga's film both the acting and visual palate are restrained without feeling repressed. This minimalist restraint matches the story's Victorian setting and seres to further convey Jane's silent strength that makes her so compelling as a character. The muted color palate, comprised of grays, purples, and soft greens, is more gritty than previous Eyre reincarnations but is by no means ugly.

Wasikowska does a great job as Jane, capturing both her youth and her quiet maturity that exist simultaneously. Jane may be far from verbose but Wasikowska's performance makes it apparent that in terms of her character still waters run deep. Fassbender also does an excellent job, presenting the audience with an effortlessly romantic Rochester. The artfully composed Wasikowska and the persistent (but often elusive) Fassbender create a fantastic back and forth romantic tension between the two characters that brings awareness to the complex social class structures of the era. The audience, like Rochester will find themselves wanting to toss all barriers aside and see the pair romantically together.

The rest of the cast is indeed well rounded, with performers like Judi Dench and Jamie Bell in strong supporting roles. Each cast member feels well utilized, and each performance well executed.

While the film may take place over a century ago the dialogue feels far from stiff and stale. At no point does the dialogue ever feel forced or awkward . Jane Eyre's writing, technical elements and acting are all solid. Overall Fukunaga's retelling of Jane Eyre is one worth seeing for both fans of Bronte's novel and strangers to the story alike.

Rating: A-