As someone who’s spent countless hours wandering bookshops and getting lost in novels, Laura Piani’s directorial debut spoke directly to my soul. This French literary romantic comedy delivers exactly what I didn’t know I needed—but absolutely deserved and loved!
We enjoyed watching Agathe (Camille Rutherford) cycle through iconic Paris streets, convinced she belonged in another century. A woman who works at bookstore, struggles with writer’s block, and can’t help but measure every romantic encounter against the impossibly perfect standards set by Jane Austen.
Agathe made us laugh and cringe at the same time. She’s unafraid to look foolish—vomiting on shoes, tumbling through forests and accidently walking into the wrong room naked—while maintaining the timeless quality of an Austen heroine.
The love triangle between her, Oliver (Charlie Anson) Austen’s great-great-great-grandnephew, leading to the requisite hate-at-first-sight romance alongside a love triangle with her sweet co-worker Félix (Pablo Pauly), actually feels emotionally real.
The candlelit ball dance sequence, in period costumes, left us breathless. Piani’s decision to let the dancing tell the story without talking, was absolutely beautiful. It captured all the feelings—the longing, the tension, the hope.
“Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” offers exactly the kind of book-lover’s romantic comedy that’s been missing from recent cinema. There are many moments you will laugh, from the alphacas to Oliver’s uncle’s antics. We highly recommend as a comical, easy-watch and feel-good film.
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life opens 12th June at Luna Palace Cinemas.