Anne Hathaway ( left ) and James McAvoy in Becoming Jane.________
English director Julian Jarrold has followed up his likeable transvestite comedy feature debut Kinky Boots with a sweet fanciful consideration of the life of the young Jane Austen in Becoming Jane. This romantic period piece—powered by rising stars Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy; a pedigreed cast that includes James Cromwell, Maggie Smith and Julie Walters; and a remarkable script dripping with beautiful words—is the literate blockbuster that anti-blockbuster filmgoers have been waiting all summer for.
The film follows the young, unmarried Jane, whose parents ( Cromwell and Walters ) —especially her mother—are eager to marry off and secure their future comfort. A suitable candidate, the favored nephew of the rich snob Lady Gresham ( Smith ) , is exactly what Jane's mother has in mind. But stubborn, independent Jane has her head in the clouds or, more specifically, in her notebooks as she scratches away ( literally ) into the wee hours of the morning at her passion for writing ( which we are vividly shown in the film's opening scene ) . Jane wants nothing to do with the marriage candidate who is good-looking but socially inept, and nothing shakes her resolve to hold out for love. Then Tom Lefroy ( McAvoy ) , a handsome Irish rake living in London who has been sent to visit relatives as punishment for his wild ways, arrives on the scene. Rude, conceited and presumptuous, Tom interrupts an engagement party for Jane's sister and her reading of one of her original works with no apology. Later, he deems it nothing special in an aside which Jane overhears.
From that point on we have a verbal sparring match between the two that naturally will lead to Forbidden Love, this essentially being a story of opposites attracting. Hathaway and McAvoy lob the brickbats back and forth like two tennis pros at the Wimbledon finals.
But alas, though the two eventually find their way to love the comely Tom will lose his promised fortune if he marries Jane who is beneath his station. Further, Jane's father finally gives in to the mother's pressure and quietly tries to point her toward the rich, stuffy suitor by saying, 'Nothing destroys the spirit like poverty.' The suggestion that Jane's writing could provide means for the family's future existence is brushed aside as it's considered a novelty and nothing more than a hobby. So what's a girl to do?
The answers in this romantic, sumptuously appointed drama are not quite as satisfying as the ones Austen supplied her heroines with in her own novels ( and previous film adaptations of the same ) but the pleasure the movie brings, thanks to its sparkling script and cast is nearly as rewarding. Jarrold's Kinky Boots was a naughty bit jolly that fit comfortably with other Britcoms like Calendar Girls and The Fully Monty. Becoming Jane will surely please the Merchant-Ivory crowd as Jarrold assuredly returns to familiar historical territory and a statelier pace ( his resume includes a slew of TV adaptations of classic novels and continues next year with a feature version of the gay themed Brideshead Revisited ) . And again, wordsmiths will swoon at the movie's felicity with excessive verbiage. Becoming Jane is a blockbuster for language professors, linguists of all stripes, the lovelorn, and those sick of explosions and special effects. In other words, here's a great movie for readers.
The greatest pleasure of the Bourne series, continues for the third time with The Bourne Ultimatum, has been watching Matt Damon outwit the CIA and the other clandestine government agencies that have used every trick in the book to track him down. For all their high-tech gear and good-looking assassins ( with this movie featuring two hunky killers ) , there's always some way for Bourne to outsmart his hunters. The implied pleasure of the David vs. Goliath story, considering our country's current headlines, couldn't be sweeter and is to be subconsciously savored throughout. Matched with the lean, flinty style of director Paul Greengrass ( who helmed the previous Bourne sequel and made last year's devastatingly good United 93 ) , the combination is irresistible.
The globe seems to be spinning ( literally ) as the movie begins. Utilizing handheld cameras with an overdose of jerky close-ups, it takes a while to get used to Greengrass' frenetic style. It took about 15 minutes for me to not wish for some Dramamine before the effect took hold. By that time, our hero Jason Bourne has made his intentions clear—he's out for revenge for the agency that killed his girlfriend in the last picture and he's coming home to America because he's close to discovering his true mission and identity. But that won't stop him from making a lot of stops around the globe before he steps back onto American soil. Greengrass keeps the set pieces coming and Damon and the cast hopping as the movie moves along at a trot ( but not so fast that it's hard to follow ) .
Damon turns in his usual terse, no-nonsense performance and is aided by an expert cast that gives acting honors to the ( cool yet compassionate ) Joan Allen, David Straitharn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Consodine ( as a skittish investigative reporter ) and the pug-mouthed Julia Stiles. This is a smart, stylish third addition to the series ( don't expect it to be the last ) that beautifully uses its international locations and manages to wrap up in less than two hours.
Check out my archived reviews at www.windycitytimes.com or www.knightatthemovies.com Feedback can be left at the latter Web site where you will also find ordering information on my new book of collected film reviews, Knight at the Movies 2004-2006.
