Let me preface this by saying I'm a hardcore Bronte devotee, obsessed with the book, and have seen pretty much every filmed version out there. I really enjoyed the film- acting, cinematography, costumes, etc. I loved Mia and Michael- awesome together, good chemistry, making an excellent Jane and Rochester. My main criticism would be that there were several key scenes that were omitted, primarily between when Rochester and Jane meet and when he proposes, which kind of gives short shrift to their relationship. They don't really have time to establish the bond that makes their relationship so powerful, so that it comes slightly out of left field when they confess their love to each other. Many other omissions make this feel like the Cliff Notes version, and my movie companion was left missing a lot of the magic and nuance because he hasn't read the book and was confused by some of the leaps and bounds the film made.
The pivotal scenes that have been cut (which are shown in the trailer) are vital to the story, and I'm left wondering why they were dropped. But then that's a major pet peeve of mine: If a scene doesn't make it into the movie, don't put it in the trailer! Argh! It always feels like false advertising to me. But anyways, back to the positives...
The scenes between Jane and Rochester feel pretty electric. Jane is sharp as a whip, which is right on target. In my opinion, the best thing about this movie is that they FINALLY showed the scene portrayed in Chapter 27, which is my absolute favorite chapter which they never do justice to in the films. They even included the "I could bend her with my finger and my thumb" line, where a desperate Rochester notes that he could physically force Jane to submit to his will, but he still wouldn't control what he cherishes most: her soul. In the film, it felt somewhat natural and organic, too, which is a hard thing to pull off. Loved it! Also, showing Rochester bursting into Jane's room the morning after, frantic to discover Jane is gone-- awesome! It's so much better than Rochester impotently watching Jane walk away, which is what some other film versions have done.
The ending is romantic but abrupt-- I like more closure to my happy endings, and Jane and Rochester need more happiness after a lifetime of misery.
Final critique- by switching up the chronology, you don't meet Rochester until halfway through the movie, and he's sort of the fire of the piece. Without Rochester, there's not much story, and I think the film would've benefited by introducing him a little earlier.
Loved that Rochester puts his pants on AFTER he and Jane put out the fire. I'd always wondered if he was fully dressed...
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