Cruel yet compelling

The other 2011 Brontë film, Cary Fukunaga's Jane Eyre, is reviewed in The Prague Post:

Though Fukunaga has rearranged the narrative - rather than beginning with her childhood, the film opens with Jane (Mia Wasikowska) fleeing over the Yorkshire Moors and collapsing outside the house of clergyman St. John Rivers (Jamie Bell) - Jane Eyre employs few gimmicks. Bronte's novel is depicted with the conservatism of someone who's afraid to fiddle too much with the original. Rather than being governed by overstylized cinematography, then, it is characters alone that drive the narrative. (...)
One strand that's definitely undercooked is Jane Eyre's horror element: bedrooms mysteriously set ablaze and house visitors being stabbed as they sleep. Though this is all covered, it's not pronounced enough and therefore not horrific enough. Here is a rare case of a movie that could actually do with more melodrama: orchestral blasts, punch-drunk camera angles, the occasional demonic screech. (...)
As a story in its own right, Jane Eyre remains in vibrant health. Though its rebellious lead doesn't sparkle quite so uniquely anymore, Jane is still a vividly alluring character, which Wasikowska realizes to stunning effect. Fukunaga's no-nonsense approach doesn't mar Bronte's novel per se, but neither does it add anything innovative of its own. It lacks the "wow" factor that would place it in the league of great literary adaptations like Lean's Great Expectations and Hitchcock's Rebecca. (Will Noble)

The Guardian thinks that the movie is Oscar material with an obvious handicap:

Once Hollywood's starlet-du-jour Mia Wasikowska signed up to this adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s novel, it immediately shot into the award-bait category. And with Michael Fassbender opposite her, as the mysterious Mr Rochester, there's potential for both to make their major-gong breakthrough. But the early release (March 2011 in the US; we're waiting until the autumn over here) says that there's little confidence in it building enough momentum to win anything. (Henry Barnes, Catherine Shoard, Andrew Pulver and Xan Brooks)

The film opens next August 11th in Australia and several newspapers offer double movie passes (picture).

 BT Life recommends the film as family entertainment:

A little something for the more bookish among us. This new adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s gothic classic has a strong pedigree – it stars up-and-comer Mia Wasikowska as Jane, Judi Dench as Mrs Fairfax, Michael Fassbender as Rochester and Jamie Bell as Rivers, and the director is Cary Joji Fukunaga. (Tim Guest)

AVN presents the DVD edition of Eternal like this:

From Charlotte Brontë and Shakespeare to television's The Ghost Whisperer, paranormal activity has fueled the romance genre for centuries.

Westender reviews the latest film by Michael Winterbottom, The Trip:

The Trip also serves as a surprisingly deft character study of (the fictional) Coogan. Self-conscious and confrontational, he betrays his vulnerability through weary asides (“Everything’s exhausting at our age”) and unlikely confessions (he finds ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” profoundly moving). In order to justify his suspect decisions and behaviour, he attempts to pass himself off as a Byronic hero. In turn, we come to see the irascible Coogan much like he views Wuthering Heights’ Heathcliff: “Cruel yet compelling.” 

The Portland Mercury alerts to a tribute concert to Kate Bush where local bands will play covers from Kate's repertoire, including Wuthering Heights (Onesongfortoday posts about one of its covers, the one by Angra). Tonight at Holocene (8:30 PM); Illuusioita reviews The Tenant of Wildfell Hall in Finnish.


Categories: Jane Eyre, Movies-DVD-TV, Music, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Wuthering Heights