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Posted in: Movies, Sony | Tagged: Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life Almost Sticks The Landing {Review}
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is a charming but flawed new romantic comedy that features a winning performance from lead Camille Rutherford.
Article Summary
- Jane Austen Wrecked My Life showcases Camille Rutherford's standout performance as Agathe.
- The film starts strong with witty charm and engaging chemistry between Rutherford and Charlie Anson.
- The middle act loses momentum with a lackluster love triangle that weakens the narrative drive.
- Despite its flaws, the rom-com offers enough charm for fans of Jane Austen-inspired stories.
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is mostly a fun and breezy French romantic comedy that features a fantastic lead performance from Camille Rutherford. Had the film been about her finding her author voice and falling for who she ultimately ends up with, this would get a huge recommendation. Instead, the middle half of the film gets bogged down in a love triangle that is boring and saps all the energy away that you got from the first 50 minutes or so. A shame, but there is enough good here to give this one a watch.
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life Ends Up Just Doing Enough
Agathe (Rutherford) works at the famous Paris bookstore Shakespeare and Company, and wants to be a romance author. Unfortunately, she is stuck in every aspect of her life, crippled with self-doubt and unable to access her emotions and romantic side to put them to use in her writing. She wastes her life away hanging out with co-worker Félix (Pablo Pauly), a womanizer we are supposed to like. Out of nowhere, she gets invited to the Jane Austen Residency in England, where she meets Oliver (Charlie Anson), a descendant of the famed writer. There are sparks immediately, but they annoy each other as well. At the retreat, Agathe comes out of her shell and falls for Oliver, when Félix shows up to complicate things. Whatever will she do?
Director and writer Laura Piani is a Jane Austen disciple, but that comes with its own issues. Agathe never truly becomes an Austen-style heroine entirely, and instead is too flighty and unsure about many things. The first 50 minutes or so are the most entertaining, as Piani brings us into Agathe's world the way she experiences it- lots of tight, close shots, almost suffocating us as we watch, until she arrives in England. We get expansive, grand views of her stepping outside and exploring herself and her surroundings in ways she had forgotten. Rutherford shines the most here, and when she meets Oliver, the chemistry between the two takes over in a big way.
Which is why it was confusing when Félix came back from such a prolonged period away. At this point, she has outgrown him in every way, and while they may have a connection, it is not strong enough to form any meaningful relationship. We know that, they know that, but the film tries way too hard to show us how wrong they are for each other, to the point of boredom. The story path is clear from the moment she gets to England, and that would have been fine, and frankly, more charming and witty, like Jane Austen. Instead, we get a weird 15 minutes in the third act that comes close to derailing the whole thing.
In the end, however, there is enough charm and Rutherford is so good that Jane Austen Wrecked My Life ends up being an entertaining watch. Come for about 75 minutes of the runtime, and fast-forward through the rest that is not as strong.
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
6.5/10
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is a charming but flawed new romantic comedy that features a winning performance from lead Camille Rutherford.
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