Saturday, October 06, 2007

"The Jane Austen Book Club" (2007) - Movie Review

I have not read any of the books of Jane Austen. With the tag line of “You don't have to know the books to be in the club.” it gave some courage to enter into the film without being completely ridiculed as a jerk staring at a screen with no sense of clue of what the people are talking about the books. I was clueless during the discussion of the books by the characters but it did not stop me from enjoying it. The characters in the book may not resemble the era and the people in the movie but surely the situation and emotions match those. Director Robin Swicord makes it to think like that with the adapted screenplay of the novel by Karen Joy Fowler of the same name.

With fast paced electronic life and the psychological mishaps in the interaction with it, the people in the movie push up and down in the connection of humans. The title with chains of medley giving those mishaps with technically wound world is lovable. The Californian life is taken a slow drive in to the tussle and tricks of love, passion, mistakes, second chances and risks in life.

Jocelyn (Mario Bello) in her early forties is grieving for her one of the closest companion, her dog. She has friends but never got married or has children. Apart from the loss, she is content with her life. She does not have many expectations or feel insecure by the pressure the society puts on her. The concept of family life is a proven method of successful existence. It is accepted as a universal form of life and it works fine too. But is it the eventuality of every single one in this world? Daniel (Jimmy Smits) tells her young gay daughter Allegra (Maggie Grace) on these “human connections” and the way of life, is the only way. Her reply makes him to rethink the twenty plus years of marriage with her mother, Sylvia (Amy Brenneman). Jocelyn’s friend Bernadette (Kathy Baker) in the process of starting a book club meets the sobbing enthusiast of Jane Austen books, Prudie (Emily Blunt) who is in the process of questioning her marriage with Dean (Marc Blucas). Jocelyn who also introduce Daniel to Sylvia decides to introduce one more chance of revival by asking the Science fiction handsome geek Grigg (Hugh Dancy) into the club. Together they read Austen’s novel every month and meet to discuss about it.

The table is set and people bring in their issues along with the characters of every novel they discuss. What makes the movie interesting is that it slides around the line of soap opera and drama. The talks are mature and the mistakes are silly. But that is the life of human. The most understanding helping personality does not tally the possibilities of their actions and when the time makes them think it through, the enlightenment evolves. Whether it is going to result in the reuniting or separation with their loved ones is different but the learning is the key out there. Here of course, the happy ending seems to be inevitable. Still we do not know who is going to wind up with whom.

We do not know deep into these people. May be it is due to their relationship strains sometimes seem to flimsy and may be even unexplainable. The film pushes to view forward and reverts back to the same position where they started. Some are caught up in the past and some are caught up in the present. Jocelyn is caught up in the present of Grigg. Whilst her attractions are towards him, she facilitates the pair up with the distressed Sylvia, even with Grigg liking Jocelyn and even with Sylvia still loving Daniel.

We get the glimpse of these people except for Bernadette. Bernadette is the one who forms this posse to meet and vent out the book’s emotional study and she is the successful failure of marriages. She treats marriage as an excursion, or a vacation from an uncommitted life. It would have been further trendy and twisty to dwelve into that to understand the points toward it. And her final pair up seem to be clichéd add on for a formulaic end, the Hollywood demands. But the movie inspires to pick up at least one Jane Austen’s novel.

The chances are there when one decides to enter into a relationship. It comes with the package of misunderstanding and bumpy ride. The real problem is no one does not when is the line of breakage to get out or continue with that. Some would have tried their best and some use it as a leverage to escape out of it. But the cause and result always questions those chances and risks. A question every one asks is that, is it really worth it? Unfortunately for a long held relationship the Yes and No margin are blurring. Jane Austen might not provide an answer for that but it sure makes to think and communicate. Regardless of breaking up or getting back, it is always good to learn.

No comments: