I went to see Jane Austen Wrecked My Life, very dubiously, being a Janeite myself, and was horribly disappointed, but I’m hoping maybe others will convince me that I was wrong.
It’s an okay, if unimaginative, premise: A writer/bookstore worker in Paris is gifted with a two-week residency at a charming English writer’s retreat, and off she goes. Her own writing and her love life are at a dead end, so the audience can only hope that either or both perk up during this holiday.
I’m sorry to admit my own shallowness but, to begin with, I couldn’t get past my assessment of the lead actress, Camille Rutherford, not being attractive, either in her person or personality. And is it just me, or was there no chemistry at all with the male lead? I didn’t mind that it was predictable, but I did mind that there was nothing else to perk it up. Most of the other characters are undeveloped. The humor is mostly feeble. Unlike in Austen stories, no one says anything clever. Oh, and the total mentions of Austen probably added up to maybe 3-4 minutes. And, no, Jane Austen does not wreck anyone’s life.
Feel free to tell me about any wonderful artistry I failed to appreciate or any subtle nuances that I missed.