Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (France, 2024)

In a way, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life feels like a case of bait-and-switch. By putting the celebrated 19th century author’s name in such a prominent position, there might be an expectation that the film would be a little more Austen-centric than it is. Instead, although Austen is name-dropped quite a few times, there’s little in this film to distinguish it from the many “sophisticated” rom-coms that have dotted the art house landscape over the years. That’s not to say that the movie is bad, but it’s pretty generic and certainly nothing for Austen-lovers to get excited about.

For lack of a better descriptor, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life qualifies as a very French rom-com, which is to say it’s high-brow and low-key. In fact, the categorization might be unfair since Laura Piani’s feature debut is neither especially romantic nor particularly comedic. It’s more of a drama about a woman’s journey of self-discovery as she attempts to work through a serious case of writer’s block. Played by Camille Rutherford, Agathe Robinson is presented as someone who, by her own admission, has let life pass her by (in one of the most explicit Austen reference, she compares herself to Persuasion’s Anne Elliot). She is haunted by a past tragedy (she was the sole survivor of a car crash that claimed the lives of her parents), has been unlucky in love, and has run into a seemingly insurmountable roadblock in her writing, causing her to question her legitimacy as an author. So the French bookseller heads to England for a two week stay at the Jane Austen Regency, a retreat owned and operated by aging Austen distant relative Beth (Liz Crowther), her companion Todd (Alan Fairbairn), and their grumpy son, Oliver (Charlie Anson).

What about the romantic element? It’s a key aspect of Jane Austen Wrecked My Life’s DNA although the execution isn’t as compelling as one might hope. Agathe has two suitors: her long-time best friend and co-worker, Felix (Pablo Pauly), and Oliver. During the first half-hour, the movie focuses on Agathe’s companionable relationship with Felix, which leads up to a kiss. Then, as the setting switches to England, there’s a focus on a traditional “love/hate” thing with Oliver. Finally, as the movie starts to head down the final stretch, it puts the two rivals together on screen. Alas, Camille Rutherford lacks chemistry with Pablo Pauly and Charlie Anson. In the end, despite the abundance of rom-com tropes, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life works better as a character study than a romance.

The film’s tone attempts to maintain an aura of lighthearted whimsy but it often slips into the shadows. It’s unclear whether Todd’s dementia-induced naked romps are intended to be sad or amusing. Maybe a little of both. Agathe’s struggles with her personal demons sometimes make the character morose and unapproachable. Then there’s the music score, which relies on piano pieces that often seem jarringly inappropriate for the scenes in which they are used. I can’t help but wonder whether a more energetic score might have transformed the movie.

The central problem with Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is simply that the romantic elements often fail. Outside of Agathe, none of the thinly-written characters escapes two-dimensionality. There just isn’t enough time. As a result, it’s difficult to care which of the men Agathe ends up with (although, following the rom-com rules, we know who it will be) and there’s actually a thought she might be better off by herself. The movie wants to be thoughtful and cultured but it ends up dispersing the delightful froth that makes the best movies of the genre so spirited.

As an art-house trifle, this movie is okay, but there’s nothing special about what it offers. This is one of those instances when the characters could have benefitted from more exposure. The “colorful” secondary characters are background clutter and even the male co-leads feel more like flotsam in Agathe’s stream of consciousness than potential partners. Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is too low-key for its own good and could have benefitted from a stronger connection to the titular author than the finished product delivers.

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (France, 2024)