3 Days Until Jane Eyre 2011

Focus Films has released a new featurette (which Flicks and Bits, Movieweb or We are Movie Geeks comment about):

And a new slidesshow about the different members of the Brontë family:

In 1835, Patrick Branwell Brontë paints a portrait of his three sisters and himself. At the time, Charlotte is teaching, Emily returns to live at home, and Anne is enrolled in school. Only Branwell, who is about to embark on a painting career, holds any potential for fame. In the next ten years, everything will change. Branwell not only faded, but he, after a fight with father, paints himself out of the family portrait, leaving only a blurring pillar when he used to be. His three sisters will have risen to become major figures of English literature. What caused this otherwise undistinguished family to produce three sisters of such literary excellence? The question still rages on blogs and website, in academic journals and coffee houses. And the Brontës continue to command fascination, respect and love. Cary Fukunaga’s Jane Eyre adds to our modern infatuation with Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel. But the public’s obsession with the whole Brontë clan, even the black sheep Branwell, has never flagged.

IFC interviews Cary Fukunaga (check video here):

I was a big fan of Cary Fukunaga's "Sin Nombre" but if you had asked me what I would expect to see from Fukunaga next, I wouldn't have predicted him to follow his modern story of South American immigrants and gang violence with a romantic period piece like an adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel "Jane Eyre." So I started our recent interview with the question: how did "Jane Eyre" become his second film? "It wasn't like: 'I'm definitely making 'Jane Eyre' next,'" Fukunaga replied. "But the script was so good, and the idea of doing a period film was so exciting. And the fact that it was so different from 'Sin Nombre' was also, for me, really attractive."
"Attractive" is a perfect word to describe Fukunaga's version of "Jane Eyre." Its stars, Mia Wasikowska as Jane and Michael Fassbender as her employer Mr. Rochester, are as easy on the eyes as the film's gorgeous cinematography by Adriano Goldman. Much of the film is set at night in the murky halls of Rochester's estate. Many scenes look like they were lit entirely by candles and fireplaces in the mad tradition of Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon." I couldn't resist the opportunity to ask Fukunaga about the gorgeous lighting techniques and to discuss where he found the modern relevance in an 150-year-old novel. (Matt Singer)

Hollywood Outbreak talks with Mia Wasikowska:

“I feel blessed. I grew up in Australia and I started working here when I was 16 and it always seemed like such a far off thing to happen,” said Wasikowska about her meteoric rise in Hollywood.  “This is definitely not the world that I come from and I feel really lucky to be here and be able to work with the people I’ve been able to work with.  I definitely don’t take it for granted.  It’s been a really good ride.”  Click on the media bar and listen to Wasikowska talk about working with Fukanaga (and she also gives her impressions of reading Jane Eyre)

A.V. Club interviews Michael Fassbender:

The A.V. Club: With Jane Eyre, you’re dealing with a story that has been filmed and reinterpreted dozens of times. What convinced you there was something to add?
Michael Fassbender: It’s a classic, and the reason people keep doing it is because there are so many things that seem to still resonate with audiences today. They like to disappear in that world. I did it because my mother and my sister are really big fans of the book, and I wanted to see what they would think of the Rochester that I would bring to the table. That’s the first reason I wanted to do it. And then when Cary [Fukunaga, director] came on board, I was really excited, because Sin Nombre was such a good film, such a beautiful story, and so beautifully told. I was like, “This is going to be interesting, an American director coming over and doing his take on this, the classic British piece.” Then Mia got involved, and she’s really mature and interesting, I saw her performance in In Treatment. I was like, “This could be really exciting now.”
AVC: What about the story resonates for you?
MF: I like that the characters are ugly and they’re beautiful and they’re cruel and they’re nurturing. There’s so much complexity to the characters, they’re so well-written, and I find that interesting. There’s ambiguity within the characters, and that’s what really attracted me to it, to the performance.
AVC: To use contemporary movie parlance, Rochester isn’t very likeable. It’s not the kind of romance where you feel they’re fated to end up together from the beginning. The pairing between a wealthy man and his governess seems as odd to us as it would have to the people around them.
MF: I think Victorian England was so restricted and repressed that when there are moments, it’s like a volcano. When there are weak areas where it just sort of comes out, it’s pretty primal, because it’s being repressed 24-7. People aren’t allowed to express themselves very openly with each other, certainly not physically. So when it comes out, it really explodes. (...)
AVC: People talk about Jane Eyre as having a similar childhood to Charlotte Brontë, but you can see Rochester as an authorial stand-in as well. He’s imprisoned by his relationship to this woman in his attic, who keeps him from being free or achieving happiness.
MF: I always think it’s kind of like Chekhov, where the dead person is the central character; they all talk about the dead person, the dead person has continued to influence them. Bertha has a massive influence on Rochester, and Jane, now that she’s come into Thornfield. And she has an impact on the house itself, in terms of the house being haunted because of her presence. That’s definitely the thing as well, that she’s always there in his mind, and physically there as well as upstairs in the attic, poor woman. [Laughs.] No wonder she wants to burn the house down.
AVC: Did something like Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea, which reinterprets the story from Bertha’s point of view, come into your understanding of the character?
MF: There is that argument that Bertha may have just been a horny woman. Back in those days, that wasn’t cool. She may have just enjoyed sex a bit too much, so they said “The devil is in her,” or “She’s too crazy.” That is definitely one way to look at it. I didn’t take that approach, although I was aware of it all the time. I feel it’s a terrible deal that she’s got, there’s no doubt about it, but I did go along the lines that she did suffer from insanity and that it was a hereditary trait that her mother suffered from before. I just chose that path for my backstory.

A lukewarm review from ComingSoon. Some of the comments, particularly the one about the 'dated' language or the ineffable last paragraphs, denote that the reviewer has no idea what he is talking about:

The choice of Cary "Sin Nombre" Fukunaga to retell Jane Eyre's story may be an interesting one, and though he seems more than capable of putting a unique twist on the material, one wonders whether it's a story that even needs to be retold again in this day and age. (...)
As might be expected, "Jane Eyre" is a chick flick of the highest order, and it rarely deviates from a rather traditional portrayal of the character despite using its non-linear approach to go backwards and forwards in time to show the key events that influence Jane's demeanor. In the first flashback, Fukunaga establishes a deeply gothic tone that brings a degree of dark tension to the film that some might find surprising. Otherwise, his film has an interesting look, avoiding the colorful pageantry of most costume dramas for a look more grounded in reality; the score by Dario Marianelli does its best to try to elevate the emotional content, but the music is used too sparingly in some places and overused in others. (...)
Unfortunately, Fukunaga's film also has serious pacing problems, especially once Jane gets to Thornfield, where it turns into an hour-long flashback. When not playing with the eeriness of Jane's imposing nearly-empty near home it's essentially a lot of flowery dialogue, most of which feels dated and it gets dull quite quickly. (...)
Eventually, Jane gives in and agrees to marry Rochester, but anyone who thinks they're going to get a happy ending clearly isn't familiar with the Brontë story, as the odd occurrences at the castle are finally explained. We're then back to the opening sequence and things really take a downturn from there once Rochester is out of the picture in favor of Jamie Bell's lackluster replacement. It's slightly disappointing that Fukunaga declines even an attempt to give Jane the sort of upbeat ending that's so necessary after so much has been foisted upon her shoulders, and ultimately, it's why the film fails.
The umpteenth take on Brontë's novel takes a unique gothic approach, but the results are grim at times and dull at others, making it hard to appreciate the generally solid performances by Fukunaga's impressive cast. (Edward Douglas)

The Critical Critics's review is not very good either:

Jane Eyre seems to be an odd choice for his next film, and while the films don’t have a lot in common in terms of plot, they are both satisfying and beautiful dramas. Fukunaga’s vision is completely realized; there is no point where he doesn’t feel in control. He not only makes a beautiful character-driven period piece, but he also has the chops to make an exciting genre film, as well. Considering his first two films, it is interesting to see where Fukunaga may go next — whether it be more toward the smaller drama that both Sin Nombre and Jane Eyre inhabit, or branching into full-fledged genre work. Fukunaga is definitely an exciting young filmmaker to keep on the radar.

Another review from LA Movie Reviews Examiner:

  'Jane Eyre' is told in flashbacks.  We follow Jane's journey back in time and become instantly emotionally involve with her. We finally catch up with her real time...Jane realizes that she must return to Thornfield  and finally conquer what haunts both her and Rochester. 'Jane Erye' is dark and spooky and most importantly an intense romantic journey.  The girl, Jane Eyre is a person that even now in the 21st century, woman will identify with.  Maybe it's a gender thing, but I gave this film four out of five bagels, while my husband gave it a measly one...Check it out and see who you agree with. (Joan and John Schwartz)

The Library of Babel also posts an interesting review:

The long stretches of the film that play out in the flickering candlelight of Thornfield Hall drag somewhat without the eye-popping visuals to captivate, but every now and then Fukunaga seizes on a window, and his eye for natural light makes us long to escape from the manor. He also manages to avoid sensationalizing in many of the areas you'd expect. In this regard, I imagine he drove the producers mad, but it was an interesting choice to downplay the both the fire and the dark secret of Thornfield Hall the way he did. (Tristan)

And Picktainment:

If she were alive today, I believe that Charlotte Brontë herself – after first emerging from a state of technological shock – would wholly approve. (Savanna New)

Or Cole Smithey:

There's something to savor in every frame of this lush film. The alchemy of its ensemble performances present a tart dose of melancholy romance. Only those young at heart need apply.

Another good review can be read on FilmFracture.

Finally the Austin Literature Examiner or the Tampa Bay Weekly also await eagerly for the premiere.

Categories: Jane Eyre, Movies-DVD-TV