Movie Review by Sergio Martínez
“You don't live, you hide...” Félix (Pablo Pauly) once says
to his friend Agathe (Camille Rutherford), the protagonist of this romantic
comedy, that, in a very accurate way, transplants into its characters some of
the emotions, vicissitudes and situations of the characters in Jane Austen's
works. Somehow, those feelings experienced by the characters of the English
novelist and some of the author herself converge, for better or worse, in the
protagonist's personality and the events she experiences.
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| Camille Rutherford as Agathe |
Agathe shares an apartment with her sister and her sister's
young son in Paris. She works in the famous bookstore Shakespeare & Co,
which specializes in English-language books, but her underlying passion is
writing. Her literary endeavour, however, faces some obstacles: a writing block
that often happens to her, the memories of her parents' death, and above all,
her own insecurity. |
| Felix (Pablo Pauly) and Agathe |
At the urging of Felix, her friend and colleague at the
bookstore, and despite her strong initial resistance, Agathe enrolls in a
program at the Jane Austin Residency in England, an opportunity to publicize
her work, exchange creative experiences with other attendees and also to have
some time to reflect on her life, mature her projects and meet new people in
the quiet of the countryside. On the latter, the new writer will have many
opportunities, the pleasant administrator of the Residency, Beth (Liz Crowther),
her eccentric husband Todd (Alan Fairbairn), their son Oliver (Charlie Anson)
and the other writers in search of inspiration for their literary projects. All
this in a bucolic setting should help Agathe get to know herself better.
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| Oliver (Charlie Anson) and Agathe |
For her, the influence of Jane Austen is powerful: “I’m
living in the wrong century”, she says on one occasion. It is clear that the
weight of the novelist's work is shaping her life, perhaps in a way that she
may eventually come to regret. However, Jane Austen's literary legacy may
provide her with something she did not foresee when she crossed the channel to
that quiet retreat in the English countryside, recreating the atmosphere of the
novelist's time. She would also find a romantic complement to her existence in
that quest.
We fully recommend this film, directed by Laura Piami. It is
very pleasant to watch. There are situations of reflection on how certain
literary creations can influence us, but there is also a certain dose of humour
and an ironic look at how we approach relationships in today's world. In
Agathe's vicissitudes, there may also be reminiscences of the obstacles that
the protagonists of Jane Austen's novels had to face.
Running time: 94 min.
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