Becoming Jane (Erin: 3 Stars, Bret: 2.5 Stars)

Fixed!

If you watch just one film this year that covers the romantic life of a pre-fame Jane Austen in excruciating detail, make it Becoming Jane.

Early in the review, Bret declares the two-hour long sojourn into the life and times of Miss Austen to be pointless, prompting Erin to launch into the Vagina Monologues or something, but, in the end, she admits the best thing this movie has going for it is that “James McAvoy is adorable.”

Despite a strong supporting cast (Maggie Smith might literally believe herself to live in 18th century England at this point), two good leads and a scene with two guys inexplicably stripping nude to frolic in a pond with one another, Becoming Jane received just 3 Stars from Erin and 2.5 from Bret.

Atonement (Erin: 3.25 Stars, Bret: 3 Stars)

FINALLY, a movie about the perils of letter writing.

If Atonement were re-made in a contemporary setting, it would be a Facebook post and no one would have thought twice about it, but before the ink had even dried on poor James McAvoy’s letter, he was doomed.

When they no longer teach handwriting in elementary school, we can all point this movie as the reason why.

The story of one man’s quest to stop letter delivery gets a 3.25 Star review from Erin and 3 Stars from Bret.