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Following so many frilly adaptations of Jane Austen's literary works for TV and the big screen alike, the author herself finally gets a fanciful film devoted to her life; or at least her youth and a (probably fictional) romance she experienced during it.Slipping into the shoes, bonnet and writing gloves of one of the most celebrated English authors of all time is the extremely able Anne Hathaway who does an excellent and convincing job throughout (even in the British accent stakes). The dashing James McAvoy similarly shines as Tom Lefroy, Irish lawyer and object of the novel-writer's affection. The two fantastic leads are backed by a top-notch supporting cast and a meticulously accurate historical backdrop: three cheers for the costume department and set designers of this film.Becoming Jane is basically a mediation on pre-literary success Austen and charts her flirtations and romantic problems with Lefroy. Young Jane also has to face misogyny, the stresses of society's expectations and the pressures to marry into money; in effect, the strong encouragement within 18th Century English social circles to follow sense and sensibility rather than sensuality and spirit. Nevertheless, the young writer's muse is inspired in light of such events and emotional binds and her future masterpieces begin to take form and find themselves written in prose.Of course, there's tragedy and "trouble", but also emotive liberation from the strict behavioural standards Jane is subjected to. The film doesn't resist any opportunity to draw on such emotion as director Julian Jarrold liberally dashes meaningful juxtapositions and long-lasting close-ups to stretch the film. This sadly sucks the film a bit dry as it snakes it's way towards the conclusion the fast-edits and rapid-fire shots that had make the film engaging and unusual for a period piece at the beginning are replaced by meandering.Even though Becoming Jane feels long, slightly drawn out and flat in places, it's a good and solid fictionalised biopic that is handsomely crafted and strongly acted. It avoids being overly stuffy and stupefyingly dull like many period dramas before it, and interestingly tackles an author about whom relatively little is known considering her ubiquity. Some nice romance, sprinklings of classy cinematography and excellent performances: overall a nice, if not rather average, movie.
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