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Jane Eyre (2011)
The essence of Rochester shines from within
I was enraptured from the moment Edward Rochester fell from his horse. Truly, there is no movie to match this adaptation of 'Jane Eyre'- the grouchiness and depth is so true to the book that I could not help but feel the temptation to run across the moors with the measly little governess as Rochester cried 'JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANE!". Secondhand embarrassment washed over me like rain as the couple wed in the dreary church, the priest smiling weakly and attempting to join the hands that were destined to touch. I say this to try and convey how realistic each scene is to the viewer. As for the cast, Rochester may not be as passionate as he was in the novel, but he certainly is dark and grumpy enough to pull off the 'Byronic hero vibe'.
If you want to feel the essence of Rochester shine from within, I highly recommend this delicate and accurate portrayal of 'Jane Eyre'.
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper (2004)
Preminger was great
This movie is honestly the best Barbie movie out there. This is largely due to the brilliance that is Preminger. He has some of the funniest lines in the film and he seems to be the only one who has any idea how to run a kingdom and how basic economics works. The fact that the kingdom relies upon a sole gold mine doesn't make much sense, but since it is a movie for young children this fact can be overlooked and can provide entertainment for older viewers. Annelise's 'saving' of the kingdom with the discovery of amethyst in the mine is also quite illogical, but yet again, can be overlooked. Other than Preminger, Dominick seems to be the only sane person in the whole kingdom - his comment that 'something's not right' (don't quote me on that) is all too poignant.
In all seriousness, the songs in this movie are surprisingly catchy - with Barbie even re-using them in later films - and the story is very nice for younger children. This is probably Barbie at its best.
Screen Two: Northanger Abbey (1987)
Totally misses the point of the novel
This is the worst adaptation of any Jane Austen novel I have ever had the misfortune of watching. I hardly even know where to begin - Despite the fact that the 'gothic' elements in the book are taken literally which misses the entire point of the book, the background music is totally inappropriate for the era and is completely bizarre, including several saxophone solos and an electric guitar. Some memorable scenes include the bath scene in Bath, in which many people are swimming around aimlessly with floating plates tied around their necks. I initially thought this was meant to be one of Catherine's delusions, but it turned out to be all too real. There is also a scene in which a young boy takes Catherine out into the garden of Northanger Abbey and starts cartwheeling for no apparent reason while Catherine looks into the distance. The final kiss between Catherine and Henry was quite possibly one of the most disturbing scenes in the whole thing, which features some poor child running out to seek Catherine who stumbles upon this dreadful scene. My eyes were bulging as much as Catherine's as I witnessed this trainwreck of an adaptation. 0/10 do not recommend. Don't bother watching this unless you want to be mentally scarred and confused for life.
Sense and Sensibility (1981)
Mostly terrible but has some memorable moments
To begin with, it took us several attempts to watch past the first 2 hours because it is so utterly boring. The acting is very dull, Marianne is a complete idiot and is very annoying, and Edward Ferrars is almost too awkward to watch. The decision not to include the youngest Dashwood sister had a very negative impact on the family dynamic - she seems to have instead been replaced by a couple of servants named Tom and Susan who sometimes have some very long appearances that don't have any relevance to the plot whatsoever.
However, following the piercing, hysterical shrieks of Fanny Dashwood after she is told of Lucy Steele's engagement - which seem to last for several minutes and was very effective in rousing our attention - the story suddenly becomes far more chaotic, but certainly not dull. One memorable scene was Marianne's illness, during which she inexplicably calls for her mother to "teach me my ABC's" in her delirium. The ending seems to have been cut slightly short - perhaps BBC ran out of funding - with Mrs. Dashwood just muttering "My children"; and that's the end. In short, this is a terrible adaptation but if you can get past the first couple of hours it becomes so terrible and bizarre, it's good.