The Jane Austen Book Club [2007]

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Starring: ~ Kevin Zegers, Jimmy Smits Maria Bello Kathy Baker Hugh Dancy
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Product Details:

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Region: 2

Number of Discs: 1

Format: PAL,

Rating:

Sales Rank: 212

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Customer Reviews:

Ok (03 September 2008)
I can tell is an ok movie recommended for women to watch and who have read Jane Austen's books.

good enough to watch twice (15 July 2008)
This is inevitably a literate film given that the centrepiece of the storyline is a book club about Jane Austin novels.A young man is invited into the club by some much older women in an attempt to get him to date one of their friends whose marriage is breaking up.You'll enjoy this film if you like listening to what people say to one another but if you're looking for steaming hot sex scenes or action of any other kind then look elsewhere.

A winner (13 July 2008)
Thoroughly enjoyed this, beautifully acted by all, and of course some wonderful eye candy. Grigg's horror-house was a bit silly tho' - I didn't feel it quite suited the character. I loved how even the indifferent men joined the Club at the end, though it never said what books they were doing after they'd finished the Austen ones ! Going to watch this again - I rented it first and I think I may buy.......

Pleasantly surprised (27 March 2008)
I'm not a huge Jane Austen fan (I've read one of her books and seen screen adaptations of two of her books). I expected this film to be contrived and pretentious however I was surprised to discover that I did enjoy this film. It's well written with good performances. The character's stories parallels Jane Austen's plotline but it was done in a subtle, funny way so it wasn't too "in your face". For romantic comedies fans or for anyone wanting something lighthearted and uplifting, I would definitely recommend this film.

That Rarest Of Things - A Delicious & Romantic Movie To Touch All Bases!! (17 March 2008)
It's November 2007 (its released on DVD on the 17 March 2008) and I've just come back from an early evening showing of this film in our nearby multiplex on a wet and windy Saturday night in London. Myself and my mate were looking for something uplifting and light and decided on this. No one else did. We were the lone two in the cinema - literally! This, I suspect, is because its received 3 star reviews almost everywhere, which is a damn shame, because `Book Club' is much better than that - and we both thought so!

Here's the basic story: Six women of different ages and sexual persuasions form a book club to discuss something that unites and excites them all - Jane Austen's six period-piece novels. One will be tackled and talked about every month in the club in a different location. There's "Pride & Prejudice", "Sense & Sensibility", "Emma", "Northanger Abbey", " Mansfield Park" and "Persuasion". The actresses are Amy Brennaman (who is married to and having trouble with Jimmy Smits), Emily Blunt (who is a married teacher lusting after an 18-year hunky student, while she gets nothing mentally or physically from her simpleton of a husband and mad hippy mum), Kathy Baker (the oldest in the group, who has been married six times and is happily looking for husband number seven), Maggie Grace who's Amy Brennaman's daughter and a lesbian in love with a manipulative writer - and finally Maria Bello - who loves dogs more than almost anything - including men.

The Writer/Director has written their lives to mirror Austen's plots and as some reviewers have pointed out, these bits are a little too pat for comfort. But that doesn't stop the dialogue from being repeatedly touching and amazingly on the pulse of how love is in the complicated and confusing 2000s. There are rare insights here and beautifully observed snippets of life too. The actresses as you can imagine (given great material) are uniformly superb - especially Blunt - who looks ravishing every time the camera is pointed at her - a huge star in the making if ever there was one. Maria Bello is her usual classy self, bringing real gravitas and warmth to her character, who has to do the most `growing' and Amy Brennaman adds a real earthiness to what would have been a little too frothy a crew. Maggie Grace is both lovely and sexy as the passionate and headstrong daughter.

Then come the men who are excellent choices both actor-wise and eye-candy wise. Hugh Dancy plays the hapless Grigg who fancies Maria Bello's character Jocelyn - but she only wants to pair him off with Amy Brennaman's character Sylvia. Sylvia is too much in love with/and hurt by her now parted/cheating husband Jimmy Smits to notice anyone. Smits is excellent and so likeable as an actor. Emily Blunt's prim and proper Prudie is licking her rather delicious lips at the heartthrob that is Trey played by Kevin Zegers - a new young actor, who is far more handsome than should be legally allowed! But the unfolding surprise is Marc Blucas as Blunt's husband Dean - his performance is clever and grows convincingly. A criticism would be that the men's characters are painted as just a little too sappy and useless.

And then of course there's 'that' writer - the gorgeous Jane Austen - who generation after generation takes every heart by storm. Hearing each of Austen's novels discussed and critiqued and then hearing extracts from some of them only makes you want to run out and instantly buy all six - then go on a Jane bender yourself.

The Jane Austen Book Club is not quite a rom-com, nor a full on girly fest - it's much better than that I think. Like Jane Austen's great writing itself, it's that rarest and most irresistible of things - impossibly and deliciously 'romantic'. You feel heart and belief and joy went into the making of this 'little film' and all concerned had a real blast doing it. This is a lovely movie that I thoroughly enjoyed and will look out for the DVD when it's released.

Ignore the so-so reviews and give it a whirl!

PS: There now follows extracts from my all new 2007 in-the-real-world kickass street version of "Pride & Prejudice" - coming to a multiplex near you - just in time for Oscars 2008 next year. Mister Darcy (played by a bald Bruce Willis) has just emerged from the lake all clingy and wet and unable to control his ardor no more. He pulls Miss Bennett (played by Sharon Stone in a ludicrously tight rubber bodice) to his chest in a saucy-fellow Errol Flynn kind of way. There is a longing in his visage and it isn't for English tea and muffins. There is something in his eye and it isn't grit or engine oil.

MISTER DARCY
(Looking down at her heaving bosoms)
Oh Miss Bennett!

ELIZABETH BENNETT
(looking down at something else that's heaving)
Oh Mister Darcy! What is `that' in your soggy breaches?
(she now looks away to Pemberley's six hundred bedrooms - suddenly acquires a glint in her eye)
Let's go back to your place!!