Lists and Lists

Brenda Niall reviews Georgette Heyer by Jennifer Kloester in the Sidney Morning Herald:

I managed to borrow another dozen of Heyer's novels. Perhaps they made a bridge to Jane Austen, and to Charlotte Brontë, whose Jane Eyre is an obvious model for Heyer's sensible young women and moody men.

Reuters talks about metal thefts and the Haworth Parish Church is mentioned as a repeated victim:

The church in the Yorkshire village of Haworth where the authors and sisters Charlotte and Emily Brontë are buried has launched an appeal for cash to fix its roof, whose repeated targeting by lead thieves has hastened its disrepair.

"It's a problem in rural England. These people have free rein to go pretty much undetected. We have a very small police presence. Our neighbourhood policing team are great but there's only so much they can do .... We're easy pickings," said John Huxley, chairman of Haworth Parish Council. (Mohammed Abbas)

More best-of-2011 lists which feature Jane Eyre 2011:

This is another of the most overlooked movies of 2011 and another for which the public seemed to question its existence. "Really?" they seemed to ask. "Do we need another movie based on Charlotte Brontë's governess in Victorian England?"
We do when it makes the pulse quicken, the heart palpitate and the eyes moisten at watching this adaptation of Bronte's tale of ill-fated romance in England from 150 years ago. Her story feels more alive now than ever and works on three levels: love story, social commentary and Gothic thriller.
As Jane, Mia Wasikowska should be considered a best actress candidate. Meanwhile, as Mr. Rochester, Michael Fassbender is officially the Next Big Thing on the men's side of Hollywood. This is his great performance of 2011, which also includes another film on my list, as well as "Shame" and "A Dangerous Method," both of which are expected to open in Tulsa in January. (Michael Smith in Tulsa World)

In Cary Fukunaga's stark, visceral Jane Eyre the elements rightfully took a leading role alongside a fine central performance from Mia Wasikowska. (Graeme Thomson in The Arts Desk)

Best Chemistry: Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender ("Jane Eyre"); Best breakthrough performance: Michael Fassbender, who had four breakthrough performances this year ("Jane Eyre," "X-Men: First Class," "Shame" and "A Dangerous Method")[.] (Moira MacDonald in The Seattle Times)

Remakes of classics were also plentiful, (...) their artistic success ranged from the sublime, “Jane Eyre”[.] (Al Alexander in The Patriot Ledger)

[T]here were a number of excellent films released this previous year: Jane Eyre[.] (Dorothy Woodend in The Tyee)

Memorable Scene: As "Jane Eyre," Mia Wasikowska tells her nasty guardian (Sally Hawkins), "I would have loved you if you'd let me."  (Chris Hewitt in Pioneer Press)

We all know that 2011 was Michael Fassbender's year: "Shame," "A Dangerous Method," "X-Men: First Class," lots of high-profile stuff. But my favorite of his films this year hit theaters back in March, and I wonder if anyone else remembers it. Fassbender played Rochester in a really good adaptation of "Jane Eyre." His co-stars included Jamie Bell, Judi Dench, Sally Hawkins and Mia Wasikowska as Jane – a solid cast in one of the best literary adaptations I've seen in recent years. The movie is dark, intense and romantic. I think Charlotte Brontë would have approved. -(Tami Katzoff  in MTV Movies)

Mia Wasikowska is a poised, yet fiercely self-directed Jane to Michael Fassbender's wry, stormy Rochester in Cary Joji Fukunaga's fresh take on the evergreen, Victorian-era Gothic romance, a deeply felt, beautifully wrought little gem of mood and sensibility.  (Lisa Jense in Good Times Santa Cruz)

Good Performances you may've missed: Mia Wasikowska as "Jane Eyre". (Commander Coconut in Orlando Sentinel)

And North County Times, 

Michael Fassbender's Rochester is mentioned in several places:

The versatile Irishman went way beyond the usual, sensitive brooding Rochester in the latest "Jane Eyre" adaptation (Bob Strauss in Los Angeles Daily News)

Recalled from the dead, too: a lean, bearded and sightless Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre. This is Michael Fassbender's best performance of 2011, despite how much he gives up in Shame. (Richard von Busack in Metroactive)

With impressive performances both in costume ("Jane Eyre") and out ("Shame")[.] (Shawn Levy in The Oregonian)

 IndieWire publishes a top ten of Limited Debuts of 2011 By Per-Theater-Average:

5. Jane Eyre
Per-Theater Average: $45,721
Theater Count: 4

and asks several members of the indie film industry about their personal top tens, Marie Theres Guirguis, producer, chooses Jane Eyre as number 6.

Taipei Times reviews Wuthering Heights 2011:

In casting black actors for the role, first Solomon Glave as the young Heathcliff, and subsequently James Howson, Arnold clearly has a point to make about racial discrimination (the discrimination in the novel is class based), but this in itself doesn’t really take the material anywhere new.
What is effective and interesting is the portrayal of Heathcliff as a victim. Rather than some kind of elemental wild thing, Arnold makes Heathcliff more a passive figure whose acts of cruelty are ultimately as small-minded and vicious as the ill treatment he receives from those around him. This departure seems to open up the story to new interpretations. Glave’s demeanor of aggrieved insolence works well as a counterpoint to Catherine’s teasing sense of her own sexual power, and the two build up an interesting dynamic. This is accentuated by Arnold’s cinematic technique, with regular use of choppy handheld camera, super close-ups to create almost abstract images, and seemingly random cuts to images of plants and insects of the Yorkshire moors. There are some memorable moments, such as a shot of Heathcliff sitting behind Catherine on a horse, the camera zooming in on her neck and hair: the sense of ecstatic intimacy and sensuality is strongly conveyed.
As Arnold tries to wrap up the truncated ends of her story, much of the visual inventiveness seems to disappear from the film as well. She leaves the threads of romance hanging and shifts her focus back to the theme of oppression, seeming to suggest with her final scenes the idea that brutality breeds new oppressors. That’s all well and good, but what happened to the tale of transcendent love? (...)
There is much to be admired in Arnold’s film, and for those familiar with the book it provides some interesting new perspectives. Unfortunately, it tries to achieve too many often incompatible goals, and the last third of the film is something of a trial to watch, as Arnold’s inventiveness has largely run out of steam and the performances are not strong enough to carry the story.  (Ian Bartholomew)

Tothemoviesandbeyond and Always Picked Last Productions, LLC review Jane Eyre 2011 and Nina's Reading Blog and The Life of Shinke post about the original novel; Movies and Books World compares Jane Eyre 2006 and 1997; a new post on the Rebecca Chesney's blog of the Brontë Weather Project; Amysliterarylive posts a video-review of Wuthering Heights.