The Jane Austen Book Club review

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

“Reading Jane Austen is a freakin’ minefield!” groans Maria Bello in a drippy chick-flick about six Sacramentans who find their lives mirroring the English novelist’s fictions. Thus we see her upscale Emma trying to find a match for Hugh Dancy’s bike-riding computer whiz without realising she loves him herself; prim Prudie (Emily Blunt) vanquishing her pride and prejudice to reconnect with her unread hubby; and philanderer Jimmy Smits concluding, after some persuasion, that happiness lies back with mousy spouse Amy Brenneman. If it sounds contrived, it is – a consequence of a script built around a rigidly schematic conceit and bland protagonists whose romantic hassles Jane would have probably wrapped up in a single chapter. Perhaps now they’ll leave the old girl in peace.

More info

Available platformsMovie
Less

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.