Understanding Jane (1999) User Reviews

An example of great British filmmaking

[stamper · 8/10 · 15 April 2001]

This really is a pretty good film, judging from what I have seen. OK I missed the first 10 or 15 minutes but once I had begun watching it, I just could not turn off the telly and that really means something, because I actually wanted to go to sleep when I turned on that film at 1.20 in the morning. I was kind of tired and I was gonna go to sleep and I thought, hey a British movie, let's check it out first and then go to sleep. I watched it for five minutes and I had to finish it. I could have taped it, but I did not want to. I was prepared to stay up until 2.35 in the morning to watch this film till it ends and I must say I did not regret that decision. It is not a very funny film, for that matter it is simply a good film, I don't know exactly why, but I liked it, it was simple, it was kind of normal it was true life as it is not often shown in movies, yet it was extraordinary. I guess it was a bit about ‘Understanding Jane' but I do not believe that was what the film was all about. It is about relationships, how people can get to the point in their life where they do not know what they feel or why they feel it and maybe that is why I liked that film so much, because I know that feeling. Anyway I'd give it a shot if you want to see a good film without action, brutality, crude or dumb jokes and just see life as it is, through the eyes of another person.

The part I saw gets an 8 out of 10 but because I did not see the whole movie the verdict is:

7 out of 10

Pleasantly surprised

[lt455 · 9/10 · 3 October 2006]

I had always been curious to see this film but the time didn't arise till i found it on ebay for a really nice price. Very few people seem to have heard of this film but it's worth anyone's time, it's funny, witty, tasteful and will connect to people with something you can relate to, at least it did many times with me (Kate Winslet getting her breasts out remark is one which comes to mind). But i think the relation at least us British will feel, is because it's represents our culture in a real yet joyful way.

The film deals with relationships in a realistic way which will be a joy to watch for anybody who's been on the dating cycle. There's something about the characters which seems so real, it's hard to describe, but it's hard to imagine these aren't real people which live and hang out in the places they are set in the film.

This film was produced before Human Traffic which is a film which will appear to have many similarities, especially the star wars speech scene, which if I'm not mistaken even has the same actors! This is a modest film in its delivery but is touching nevertheless.

I wouldn't really say i've many negative points, if any. The music throughout is good and tasteful editing makes the film make the characters seem even more real, this film comes highly recommended from me and my friends who i watched it with. This film was produced before Human Traffic which is a film which will appear to have many similarities, especially the star wars speech scene, which if I'm not mistaken even has the same actors! This is a modest film in its delivery but is touching nevertheless.

I wouldn't really say i've many negative points, if any. The music throughout is good and tasteful editing makes the film make the characters seem even more real, this film comes highly recommended from me and my friends who i watched it with.

I don't understand why...

[drexl-8 · 7 December 2000]

Understanding Jane is one of those films that wants to analyse relationships and depict realistic characters in reasonably plausible predicaments. It does so merely satisfactorily. The plot involves two male losers (both "losing" in their own unique way) calling up date adverts in the hope of finding someone special. They do this together and, before long, happen come upon two scheming girls. One of the girls is clearly more scheming than the other. Thus we embark on a series of mishaps and relative insights on how this foursome get on (or don't) with each other, made all the more difficult by Curtis' "Dallas" character. That's the plot. Does this work for 90 minutes? Yes and no.

My first quip with this film is ... people go to see a film to "watch" it, not listen to it. This film is so blatantly influenced by the narrative protege of Trainspotting and Human Traffic but can't quite achieve this because the budget is very limited. The film is made up with a series of vingettes involving the characters talking an and analysing anything from blowjobs to Star Wars (Nowadays, if you're dealing with a character-driven relationship film, you have to include why Return of the Jedi is better than Empire Strikes Back etc.) This soon wears out and becomes tiresome. This film would do just as well if it were a radio play - perhaps even better. Why better? Well, because - and to be honest (there's no denying this) - the film's image quality is very poor - it appears to have been shot on 16mm stock that's been resting in an oven for fifteen hours and the sound quality is reasonable - not that it means much, as the film is shot entirely on location and most of the background noises intrude on what otherwise might have been the perfect edit.

On the whole, Understanding Jane's bad qualities half ruin the brilliant ones: a first rate performance from Curtis as the bitchy Dallas is ruined by hammy dialogue and a sense of character that wouldn't mind any outcome. John Simm is horrible wasted - a pre-toxic excursion on his character in Human trafic, except slightly less funny, witty and interesting. Ultimately, I cared little for any of the characters in the film because A: the ones we care about are not only established almost instantly, but get what they want in the first 20 minutes, and B: the characters we're not supposed to like don't care anyway about what happens to them.

Ultimately, Understanding Jane is a wildly amibitious film that wants you to care about characters who don't care about themselves, made in a tiresome and uninteresting way, shot lousily by first time director Lindsay, from a cheesy melodramatic and extremely sporadically funny script by first time screenwriter Mummery. The only saving graces to be had are the performances. Understanding Jane is worth watching. But only just.

4.5/10