A nice movie without too much melancholy or cheerfulness either way.
Six people get roped into a book club to read all six Jane Austen novels. Each of their lives loosely parallel the main characters in each book.
The movie is based on the book by Karen Joy Fowler and has a good ensemble cast including Emily Blunt, Amy Brenneman, and an adorable, puppy-like, Hugh Dancy. For some reason it’s the kind of movie I think Diane Lane and Ion Skye should also somehow have been part of.
Had I read (any of) Jane Austen’s novels, I might have been able to follow the similarities between the characters and the books better. As it is, they seemed to be fairly loose parallels, so if you aren’t familiar with Austen you can still find it enjoyable.
Some may find this movie too dull or factured, but I think it’s a good homage to the tone and style of Austen’s novels. Don’t expect too much and feel free to pause it and take breaks whenever you like. A good movie for a laid-back saturday afternoon or a rainy day.
Oh, and it does have a happy ending, although you wouldn’t see it coming.
3 stars out of 5 (minus 1 for that aweful wig they made Emily Blunt wear)
Feels So Soft! .org 