Serving as the opening night film of the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is a charming French romantic comedy that makes good use of its title-based reference to the famed author. While relatively light and breezy, there’s a good amount of comedic energy on display, and the (sense and) sensibilities of a variety of different kinds of comedies to keep things feeling fresh throughout. That said, when a film is so boldly going to reference Jane Austen, one hopes it can deliver a core story rooted in emotions that feel authentic to the characters involved.
Camille Rutherford stars as Agathe Robinson, a single and lonely writer working as a bookseller in France. She’s started to write many stories but never knows how to end them, leaving them abandoned. Similarly, she’s had no real luck with her love life, avoiding dating apps and hoping for something truer to what she’d always imagined.
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Things take a turn when her friend Felix (Pablo Pauly) submits one of Agathe’s stories to a Jane Austen writer residency program. While reluctant at first, Agathe decides to make the trek to England, where she can ideally capitalize off of the opportunity offered. Of course, things become even more complicated due to Agathe’s encounter with Oliver (Charlie Anson), a man who shares a lineage with Austen and lives at the manor. With at least two potential suitors and a location fit for the Victorian era, could Agathe actually be living out the plot of an Austen story?
Jane Austen Wrecked My LIfe is the feature-length directorial debut of writer/director Laura Piani, and she shows plenty of promise here. While this is a French film, having it set mainly in England and balancing both the French and English languages shows how precise the comedy needs to be to work as well as it does. While there are never too many instances of characters getting lost in translation, we get a feel for various types of comedies Piani was influenced by in putting a film like this together. Sure, this is a romantic comedy, but there are plenty of screwball elements, lots of fun wordplay, and even a dash of raunchiness to balance it all out. This movie may be focused on the turmoils of being a writer and romantic, but it’s also frequently funny.
The cast chemistry is excellent, which plays well into wanting to see things end up a certain way yet being happy to consider some of the various possibilities. Through it all, Rutherford is given a terrific voice as someone likable and worth rooting for, yet not perfect. We understand her talent and potential, yet we can see how she’s letting a lack of self-esteem get the better of her (though it’s always fun seeing a character willing to dance with themself on screen). Meanwhile, Anson is playing a role that would easily fit a 90s Hugh Grant-type character, but he does what’s needed to lean on that quality. Pauly is also fun as a friend who is very upfront with Agathe, even as the limits of their friendship become tested in ways further fueling the complications of romantic entanglements.
While I am no expert on Jane Austen, I can admire a film full of witty banter, great comedic timing, and an emphasis on allowing our lead female character to have pride in her choices, even if it sometimes leads to mild chaos. At the same time, the male characters, along with some of the other members of the residency, score plenty of laughs and add plenty of character to the world this story exists in. Combine that with just enough work in terms of some of the costumes and the use of the primary location, and there’s a film that’s largely able to pull off what it’s aiming for. Given the parameters a movie like this does seem to be aiming for, it’s a bit too quick to find a conclusion, but there’s only so much to fault when considering how enjoyable the film has been.
I’m all for a charming romantic comedy that manages to mix up some of the expectations one may have. In this case, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life feels like a fitting product of a filmmaker who’s read their share of classic literature and knows the ins and outs of many classic rom-coms. Adding a solid cast to this clever script has led to a film that offers plenty to enjoy in the realm of love, friendship, and laughs.
There is no release date yet, but Sony Pictures Classics has the rights to Jane Austen Wrecked My Life.
The 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will be taking place from February 4 to February 15, 2025.
