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“Jane Austen Wrecked My Life”

Sony Pictures Classics

Directed by Laura Piani

Starring Camille Rutherford, Pablo Pauly, Charlie Anson, Liz Crowther and Frederick Wiseman

Rated R

 

3 Stars

 

“Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” is the new dual-language romantic comedy hitting theaters this weekend. It’s a bit of a mess, but it’s a charming mess that should appeal to fans of contemporary romances and, of course, those who love everything pertaining to Jane Austen.

Camille Rutherford stars as Agathe, a Parisian bookseller who is obsessed with Jane Austen. She’s even been inspired to write a book of her own but never had the fortitude to finish it until her best friend, Felix (Pablo Pauly) submits it to the Jane Austen Residency Project in England.

They like her first chapter, so she is accepted into the program, even though she’s suffering from terrible writer’s block. The problem is that she meets Oliver, the great, great, great, great grandnephew of Jane Austen at the retreat, and despite some initial misgivings, romantic sparks start to smolder. That doesn’t bode well for poor Felix, who impulsively kissed Agathe before she left for the residency.

It’s a classic love triangle, and thanks to a natural performance from Rutherford, it’s easy to become invested in our heroine’s romantic dilemma. She’s been holding out for a Mr. Darcy all these years, and now that a genuine suitor has appeared, she’s conflicted about what to do next. Rutherford is great at showing us her uncertainty when it comes to matters of the heart, and I suspect that it will resonate strongly with many of the members of the audience.

Then again, the film desperately wants to be a romantic comedy, so it throws several romantic faux pas into the story in order to mine some sympathy for our leading lady. For example, she gets off the ferry and immediately vomits on Oliver who has been sent to pick her up. If that’s not bad enough, no sooner does she arrive at the retreat than she strips naked and heads off to find the shower. Except that she wanders into Oliver’s room by mistake.

It’s hard to feel sympathy for a character that’s wandering naked through the halls of a public building, although to be fair, she’s not the only one parading about in this movie. Perhaps it’s a European thing, but it struck me as a contrived bit of business.

Despite these awkward moments, the film does eventually get down to the central love triangle, which I found to be quite compelling. Once again, it’s due to the three central performances, all of which are quite good. This story may be trying to evoke Jane Austen in its structure, but the modern setting, and the contemporary characters are what allows this romance to truly shine.

Finally, credit to the filmmakers for conveying their reverence for Jane Austen’s work, and the craft of writing in general. I appreciated how these characters struggled to find their voice at the retreat. Anybody who’s ever tried to write something of literary note will certainly appreciate the effort seen here.

All of which leads me to say that I was quite charmed by “Jane Austen Wrecked my Life.” It can be a bit messy at times, but it’s a charming mess of a movie. I suspect that fans of Jane Austen and grown-up romantic comedies will enjoy this movie. Don’t let the occasional French dialogue dissuade you from seeing this delightful little movie.

Movie reviews by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are published each week in The Port Arthur News and The Orange Leader. Sean welcomes your comments via email at sean@seanthemovieguy.com You can get more of Sean’s reviews by subscribing to the 2 Movie Guys podcast.