pinartarhan.com

Fun and comprehensive entertainment blog feat. movies, TV series, actors, movie-makers, music & books: 1980 - Present

  • Home
  • Hire Me
  • Books
  • Privacy Policy

Jane Eyre starring Mia Wasikowska & Michael Fassbender

Posted on July 13, 2011 Written by ripitup

Share

 
Jane Eyre starring Michael Fassbender, Mia Wasikowska, Jamie Bell & Judi Dench
Jane Eyre starring Michael Fassbender, Mia Wasikowska, Jamie Bell & Judi Dench. Image via daemonsmovies.com

Plot Summary

Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) has been brought up in a hostile, unloving environment, only to be sent to a even worse “charitable” school where she is treated very badly. She loses her only friend and lives a loveless life until she leaves the school for a governess position at 19.

She is to teach a young French girl at a house owned by Mr. Rochester, who is rarely ever home. She is happier here, even though she wishes for a more exciting life. And her life does get more exciting with the appearance of her boss Mr. Rochester. (Michael Fassbender)

Mr. Rochester is mysterious, unpredictable, charismatic and challenging. Yet he finds his match in Jane, who is quite clever, quick to retort and can give unique perspectives on everything. A bond forms between them, a bond that is filled with chemistry and attraction. Yet Jane is sure Rochester would rather marry a prettier girl with a different background. However Rochester is his own man, and he would rather follow his heart than conform to society.

But when Rochester’s secret comes out, will Jane be able to follow her heart, rejecting her own beliefs?

 

**

My Thoughts

Jane Eyre is a deliciously dark romantic/drama, staying true to the spirit of Brontë sisters. Jane Eyre is yet another adaptation of the famous novel (Jane Eyre), written by Charlotte Brontë.

Sure, at times it is slow and depressing. But the slow and depressing moments help us understand Jane, feel for and get in the mood of the film. Some parts at the Rochester house feels like we are in some gothic thriller, and a part of me wished this had been a looser adaptation where Rochester’s secret could be more supernatural.

 

I also wish some scenes were more intense. It is rated PG-13, and I wish it had pushed the limits a little further. The movie stayed true to Charlotte Brontë, and the spirit of period movies. Yet I believe that the mood set could make up for more daring scenes- and t could have been done without really betraying the book or the PG-13 limits.

 

Apart from the occasional slowness and the “romantic” limitations between the characters, I loved the movie. I have nothing against the current 7.8 user rating on IMDB. However, I rated it a 7. I need to be honest with you, as much as I loved the film, Michael Fassbender’s acting has a lot to do with it. I don’t think it would have been the same with another actor.

 

To me, Fassbender (Eric/Magneto from X-Men First Class) brings a raw intensity to his emotional scenes –in a similar fashion with the English actor Ralph Fiennes. Just as Fiennes was perfect as Heathcliff of Wuthering Heights, Fassbender is the right Rochester.

 

Should you see it?

Unless you have something against well-done period romantic dramas, you SHOULD NOT MISS this version. But I believe that men who don’t have a soft spot for classic romantic literature, and men who need to see an alluring actress in the leading role should so stay away from this film. After all, Jane is as plain as they come, with a ridiculous (albeit historically appropriate) hairstyle.

 

Trailer:

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8PLpXvhtlc[/pro-player]

Cast Notes:

 

–          Mia Wasikowska did a wonderful job in the Oscar-nominated 2010 drama/comedy The Kids Are All Right. She played the teenage daughter of the lesbian couple, portrayed by Annette Bening & Julianne Moore. She also played Alice in Tim Burton’s 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland.

 

–          English actor Jamie Bell, who you might remember from Jumper and Billy Elliott, plays St John – the young man who finds Jane Eyre in the beginning of the movie.

 

–          In the upcoming period drama/thriller A Dangerous Method, Michael Fassbender plays Carl Jung- whose relationship with Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) doesn’t go smoothly when Jung starts being romantically involved with his patient (Keira Knightley).

 

–          Veteran actress Judi Dench plays the housekeeper in Jane Eyre.

 

 

 

 

Share

Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: charlotte brontë, drama, Jamie bell, Jane eyre, jane eyre 2011, jane eyre 2011 movie, judi dench, Mia Wasikowska, michael fassbender, movies, romance

The Kids Are All Right starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore & Mark Ruffalo

Posted on April 17, 2011 Written by ripitup

Share

The Kids Are All Right starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore & Mark Ruffalo
The Kids Are All Right starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore & Mark Ruffalo. Image via rizecity.com

 

Plot

Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening) have been together a long time. Despite their own issues, and the issues of their two teenage kids Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson), they are managing. But when Laser decides to find their sperm donor dad Paul (Mark Ruffalo) with the help of Joni, things get way out of hand:  The kids really like their fun, laid-back dad – and he is a true contrast to their over-controlling mom Nic. To make things worse, Jules likes Paul too. And when Paul hires Jules to design his garden, things get even more complicated as something starts between them. How much of a change can a modern, 21st century family can take?

**

Review – with Spoilers

The bad:

–          The actions of characters & the depicting of characters:

 

The Kids Are All Right is an all right film, although it is a bit overrated. It has its moments and the acting is fine.

 

It’s the story and how the characters are shown that I have a problem with. We have a lesbian couple who get turned on by watching gay men porn. They tell us, and Laser, that human sexuality is complicated and we try to roll with that. But never at any point Jules thinks she is bisexual. Yet she jumps Paul’s bones almost the first moment they are alone together. Then she has sex with him again. But we are supposed to buy that she is %100 gay. Fine. And while Julianne Moore can be quite pretty when she wants to be, she doesn’t quite have a moment of attractiveness, or even really femininity at this film. I’ll never know how the ever hot-blooded Paul, who all the straight women around him are either trying to bed or are already bedding, found in Jules. OK. So let’s suppose he is all hormones and no ethics- that he will jump any woman when given the chance. But we have him falling for Jules. What the…?

 

And yes, of course Nic eventually finds out. And she goes ballistic. But interestingly, she is more mad at Paul. The kids are more mad at Paul. They treat him like a total disappointment. And while he is not the ideal father figure, he is kind, and warm-hearted and he did welcome the kids into his life, no questions asked. It’s Jules who was married, who cheated on their mom and yet it is Paul who ends up alone.

 

I never quite get it when people become more angry at the other man/woman rather than their own spouse. Yes, the other person showed total ill judgment sleeping with a married person, but he/she is not the one who married you. He/she is not the one who cheated on you. I always think that if you are not going to be equally angry, you are supposed to be angrier at the person who actually had responsibilities about you.  Jules got another chance. Despite how naïve and weird he is, Paul deserved one too.

–          Sex is reduced to just animal sex. Did we really need to see that much of Mark Ruffalo humping around?

The good:

–          The acting is really good. Not just by Bening, Moore and Ruffalo, but the kids did a great job too. I’ll enjoy watching them in other movies.

–          It is funny how Jules and Nic were thinking that their son might be gay and they were actually disappointed that he wasn’t, but he had found his dad.

–          Paul’s overall reactions to the event. “I love lesbians” reaction when he found out both Nic and Jules gave birth to one child of his and that they were together.

 

 

Worth Watching?

–          If you are a fan of the actors, and can’t resist the Oscar buzz ( the movie was nominated for 4 Oscars – Best Actress for Annette Bening, Best Supporting Actor for Ruffalo, Best Film and Best Screenplay, though it received none of the awards), it won’t bore you. It might annoy and disappoint you a bit, but I don’t think you will regret the time you put into it. But while it has some potential, there is a big chance it won’t be listed in your best movie experiences.

Directed and co-written by Lisa Cholodenko. Made in 2010. Currently 7.3 on IMDB.com

Fun notes:

This isn’t the only movie Moore does something against her character’s suggested sexuality. In Chloe, she is supposedly straight , married to Liam Neeson. She suspects her husband is cheating on her. But in the end, she ends up cheating on him- with a woman.

Also on Julianne Moore

Benny and Joon starring Johnny Depp, Aidan Quinn, Mary Stuart Masterson and Julianne Moore

Shelter starring Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers

The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones

Laws of Attraction and Pierce Brosnan feat. Julianne Moore

Chloe starring Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson and Amanda Seyfried

Also on Mark Ruffalo

Just Like Heaven starring Mark Ruffalo & Reese Witherspoon

Mark Ruffalo Trivia

Share

Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Annette Bening, comedy, drama, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore, mark ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, movies, the kids are all right, the kids are all right movie

Anticipating Restless – The New Gus Van Sant Drama starring Henry Hopper and Mia Wasikowska

Posted on October 20, 2010 Written by ripitup

Share

Restless starring Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper.
Restless starring Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper. A Gus Van Sant film. Coming in January. Image via screencrave.frsucrave.netdna-cdn.com

Catching a lovely little trailer on the IMDB page can be quite annoying if you really love the feel of the movie and find out that it will be coming to the theaters on January 28th, 2011.  I guess better late than never.

Here’s the plot:

Anabelle (Mia Wasikowska) is young, terminally ill girl.

Enoch (Henry Hopper) likes going to the funerals of people he doesn’t even know. Oh, he also sees a ghost.

Anabelle meets Enoch at the funeral of a friend of hers and saves him from getting kicked out. They hit it off and become friends – later falling for each other. But can this relationship actually have a future? Or does it really matter when you have found your soul mate despite all the odds and your own quirks?

Written by Jason Lew. Directed by Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk, Paranoid Park, My Own Private Idaho).

Below is the trailer. Let me know what you think.

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7t29dNoTxs[/pro-player]

Share

Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: drama, Gus Van Sant, henry hopper, jason lew, Mia Wasikowska, movie, restless, restless 2011, restless movie, restless movie trailer, romance

In the mood for a fun romcom novel?

Copyright © 2025 · Focus Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT