The Jane Austen Book Club does for Jane Austen what Shakespeare in Love did for William Shakespeare. Both author and playwright are deceased, yet their work remains timeless. The themes are so entrenched in the human condition that they continue to revive the words again and again. There have been countless adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays, and Jane Austen’s novels are following this pattern. The Jane Austen Book Club doesn’t take us back to her day like Becoming Jane, but keeps the setting modern. Six people start a book club to discuss Jane Austen classics, only to discover that the novels resemble their real-life 21st Century relationships.
Austen created such vivid and unmistakable personas that elements of them can be observed in contemporary society. The premise keeps up with this notion as each book club member falls in and out of love in true Austen fashion. Their relationships mimic aspects of the novels and make the books even more fascinating. Each book takes a month and each classic parallels their circumstances. The Jane Austen Book Club could easily branch off into a TV or Mini series with a solid ensemble and intrincate relationships in the same vein as Desperate Housewives with an affinity for old world grace and romance.
Director, Robin Swicord swathes the realities of modern day living around the airs and graces of a Jane Austen romance. The contrasts are alien in comparison, whether you’re filling up with petrol or trying to wrestle a vending machine. The books are an escape at first, and each book club member begins to find some solace in Austen’s love affair with the very idea of romance. The characters are very different and provide ample drama to sustain this collection of relationships. While it helps to have read several Jane Austen books, it isn’t necessary to follow the plot or find The Jane Austen Book Club entertaining. There aren’t any flashbacks, although Jane Austen fans will pick up on the odd quote or characterisation.
The film is character-driven and the performances are strong enough to carry the series of romantic dilemnas. A woman going through a separation, one with six divorces, a lesbian daughter and a woman on the brink of a divorce all bring their relationships to the table. It’s a Hollywood film, based on a popular British author’s work and this makes it fairly predictable. The Jane Austen Book Club isn’t strictly a ‘chick flick’, and it isn’t as soppy as the period adaptations. So most guys will find something to like about it, even if they don’t openly admit it. The film does pack the story, characters and relationships like sardines, but the overview is still savvy and entertaining.
The bottom line: Safe.
