'Jane Eyre'review: Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender lack chemistry of gothic tale

WithMia Wasikowska,Michael Fassbender. Adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's gothic romance. Director:Cary Fukunaga(2:01). PG-13: Brief nudity and violence. At Sunshine Cinema,Lincoln Square.

When faced with a remake or adaptation, my first question is always,"Why?"What original insights, what fresh perspective will this director offer that requires a new look at an old work?

That challenge doubles for classics, especially ones that have been translated to the screen as often as"Jane Eyre."

In his second feature, Cary Fukunaga ("Sin Nombre"), deftly emphasizes the modern elements of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel, though he's less skilled at creating a gothic tone. Those unfamiliar with this story will find a respectable introduction; fans may be somewhat less impressed.

Appropriately, the film's strongest asset is lead Mia Wasikowska, who is properly unglamorous (thank heavens no one thought of castingKeira Knightley). Her Jane has the haunted eyes and stubborn soul of an adult who was denied a childhood and an intensity that immediately attracts the similarly unsettledRochester(Michael Fassbender).

Jane is governess to his young ward, and as the housekeeper (Judi Dench) hastens to remind her, wealthy men like Rochester don't marry their employees. Not that it really matters. If you read Brontë's novel in high school, you probably still remember the dark secret meant to keep them apart.

The real problem, though, is Fukunaga's inability to draw them together.

Jane is beautifully rendered, and so are the windy moors that represent her gloomy, limited options as a woman without independent means. The supporting cast is also strong, with Dench,Simon McBurneyandJamie Belloffering particularly robust turns in small roles.

But much is left undeveloped, from Jane's ghostly anxieties to Rochester's evolving complexity. Wasikowska and Fassbender lack chemistry, and the latter never finds his character's depth, leaving us without a truly strong connection between our star-crossed heroes. Though there's enough to admire intellectually here, every"Jane Eyre"should also deliver some emotional swoons.

Source